Leeds United forward Noah Okafor has announced that he will not play for Switzerland while Murat Yakin remains the national-team manager, citing a breakdown of trust with the coaching staff rather than frustration over his playing time.
The 26-year-old, who has scored twice in 26 appearances for Switzerland, revealed his decision in an Instagram statement after reflecting on his treatment within the national-team set-up. Okafor said events had “hurt me deeply,” adding that “trust was broken” and that commitments made to him had not been honoured.
Okafor was particularly affected by the reaction to what he described as minor errors during Switzerland’s match against Algeria. “My decision has nothing to do with my playing time,” he said. “When I was allowed to play against Algeria, people reacted to minor mistakes far away from our goal in a way that hurt me deeply.” He concluded that he no longer wished to represent Switzerland under the present manager.
The decision removes an experienced attacking option from Yakin’s plans before Switzerland begin their UEFA Nations League campaign. Scotland, now led by Sébastien Pocognoli, are in League B Group B1 with Switzerland, Slovenia and North Macedonia. Pocognoli is expected to name his first Scotland squad next week, ahead of fixtures against Slovenia on September 26 and Switzerland at Hampden three days later.
Scotland could also be without Scott McTominay for the opening Nations League matches after the Napoli midfielder underwent a minor procedure to address a benign heart rhythm issue. He is expected to miss Pocognoli’s first four games in charge, including the home-and-away matches against Slovenia, plus fixtures against North Macedonia and Switzerland.
Away from the international scene, Greenock Morton’s financial uncertainty has deepened after Estrella Football Group confirmed it had withdrawn from a proposed investment. The company said due diligence raised concerns about cash flow, liabilities, sponsorship arrears and the club’s overall financial outlook, adding that there are no active negotiations with Morton or Morton Club Together.
Estrella had initially proposed an investment package of £750,000 over three years, later revised to £600,000 for a 35% minority stake and two board seats. The group ultimately concluded that the risk had changed materially, with its proposed growth investment potentially needed to address immediate liabilities instead.
