Noah Okafor has expressed his disappointment with national team coach Murat Yakin and the SFA after he was once again not called up for the national team. National team director Pierluigi Tami takes a stand.
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- In an interview with "The Athletic", Noah Okafor clearly criticizes his omission from the national team and complains about the lack of contact with coach Murat Yakin and director Pierluigi Tami.
- Tami shows a lack of understanding for Okafor's public statements and emphasizes that he has to play his way back into the squad with performance and team spirit. "But I can't understand statements like that."
- Switzerland's focus is now on the crucial World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Kosovo - in the best-case scenario, the national team will punch its ticket for the 2026 World Cup on Saturday.
An interview by Noah Okafor in the English newspaper "The Athletic" caused a stir last week. In it, the Leeds striker let off a lot of steam because he was once again missing from the squad for Switzerland's upcoming World Cup qualifiers and "only" made it onto the pictet list.
"It makes me really, really sad," said Okafor, making it clear that he has had no contact with Murat Yakin or national team director Pierluigi Tami since his last appearance for the national team in November 2024. "They don't even call me or ask me. It makes no sense to me."
It is rumored that Okafor did not have the right attitude in his last appearances for the national team - for example at Euro 2024, where he did not play a single second - and even created a bad atmosphere. That is why he is currently out of the picture with Yakin.
Tami: "It's not right to do something like that in public"
A month ago, Okafor's absence from the national team match was already a topic of discussion. At the time, Tami and Yakin said that the door was still open for the 25-year-old. He would have to perform well on the pitch to become an option again.
However, the critical statements continue to raise eyebrows among SFA officials. "I can't understand his statement at all. If I have a problem, I pick up the phone, call the coach and ask. But to do something like that in public is not right," said Tami at the national team meeting on Monday.
He continued: "I know that Okafor has quality and would also like to see that in the national team. But interviews like this won't make things any better for him. Statements like that won't help him." A player should not put his own problems above those of the team, Tami makes clear.
Clarifying discussion after the World Cup qualifiers?
Nevertheless, Okafor's door to the national team is not closed. However, the attacking player must impress with his performances and also show that he can identify with the team and its goals. He also told Okafor this on the phone, according to the national team director.
Tami: "For me, the focus is now fully on the next two games. Yakin certainly doesn't want to experiment in these crucial games. Afterwards, however, I will do something and also try to clarify the matter in a personal conversation. We can discuss Noah again after these two games, but now is not the right time for that."
The focus is now on the games against Sweden and Kosovo. In the best-case scenario, the national team will qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Saturday after the Sweden game in Geneva. To do so, however, Switzerland must pick up more points than Kosovo in the parallel match away against Slovenia. "We have to be ready for both games and can't count on too much yet," says Tami. "We don't necessarily have to secure our World Cup ticket on Saturday."
