Leeds United had four players head out for the World Cup, but only one of them can argue their experience has been positive.
The Whites didn’t have huge involvement at the World Cup this summer. Just four of our squad headed across the Atlantic for the tournament.
Only one remains: Switzerland winger Noah Okafor, who is having a tough time once again under Murat Yakin.
Leeds United’s Noah Okafor overlooked for fourth time at World Cup as Switzerland progress to quarter-finals
Despite seemingly managing to shift Yakin’s opinion, Okafor still finds himself unable to convince the Switzerland boss that he’s worth throwing into World Cup fixtures.
The Leeds man was an unused sub in all three group stage games. That included a shocking 1-1 draw vs Qatar where he would’ve probably had his nation out of sight. Some atrocious finishing from those in front of him in the pecking order allowed Qatar to equalise.
He made a cameo off the bench in the 2-0 win over Algeria. However, he ended up returning to warming the bench against Colombia.
Ruben Vargas has been favoured over Okafor throughout the tournament. It’s been a justified selection in fairness, but the Sevilla winger didn’t look nearly at 100% when he was introduced on Tuesday night.
Noah Okafor surely can’t wait to get back to Leeds United where he’s appreciated
When Okafor joined Leeds, one of the first things he said was that his mission was to get back into national team contention.
The fact he’s been brought in from the cold under Yakin says everything about his season at Elland Road. However, it’s clear to see 51-year-old holds a grudge over Okafor. He’s snubbed routinely despite Switzerland’s other wingers being far from convincing.
As they prepare for Argentina, I’d be surprised if Okafor gets a kick. So, he’s surely looking forward to being back in West Yorkshire for pre-season, at a place where he’s truly appreciated.
The contrast in trust he’s afforded for club and country is stark. And, it’s unfair really, given what we’ve seen from him in a white shirt in 2026.
The silver lining in all of this frustration for Okafor is that he’s going to return for pre-season unlikely to have picked up any major injuries.
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