Granit Xhaka reveals Noah Okafor phone call that’s led to unrest for Leeds United star
Granit Xhaka has revealed a phone call he had with Noah Okafor, following the Leeds United star’s controversy surrounding the Switzerland national team.
Okafor has been fantastic for Leeds since signing from AC Milan in the summer, and could be the man who helps keep the Whites in the Premier League.
However, Okafor is now at risk of missing out on Switzerland’s 2026 World Cup squad, and revealed his dissatisfaction at being placed in his national team’s reserve list in an interview with The Athletic.
There is growing tension with the Switzerland manager, Murat Yakin, as Okafor has been accused of potentially causing “unrest” within his national side ahead of a crucial period of games.
His Swiss teammate Xhaka has now added more depth to the ongoing story surrounding Okafor.
Granit Xhaka suggests there’s two sides to Noah Okafor’s Switzerland saga
Yakin has expressed his disappointment in Okafor’s attitude, which does not seem to be a problem at Elland Road.
Okafor has been one of the shining lights for Leeds, as the forward regularly stands out in a struggling side.
Okafor’s Premier League stats:
- Games: 8
- Goals: 2
- Average rating, according to Sofascore: 6.93
On Wednesday, Swiss outlet Blick revealed in its print edition exactly what Xhaka said concerning a phone call with Okafor in a recent interview with the Sunderland midfielder.
Xhaka said: “I had a phone call with Noah before his interview. It is difficult to comment on this topic at all without knowing all the details.”
The comments from Okafor’s teammate and captain, Xhaka, suggest that there may be two sides to this story, as the Leeds man may be receiving unfair treatment.
Regardless, Leeds could be set to benefit from all of this.
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Switzerland drama could fuel Okafor
Leeds are in a fight to stay in the Premier League, and there is growing speculation that head coach Daniel Farke may be relieved of his duties soon.
The Whites have a difficult run of fixtures coming up and need everyone to be at the top of their game.
Leeds fans should count themselves lucky that they managed to sign someone of Okafor’s talent for just £18million, as he is proving to be one of the signings of the summer.
However, Leeds could now benefit even further from this drama, as it could fuel Okafor to perform better, to prove a point to his Switzerland boss.
Okafor will want to be in Switzerland’s squad for the upcoming World Cup, but to do that, he needs to perform at his best for Leeds.
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