Ramifications for Noah Okafor and Leeds United laid out after tough World Cup

Switzerland played seven games and reached their first quarter-final for 72 years but Okafor featured just once; a 26-minute substitute’s appearance against Algeria in the round of 32 with the tie essentially already won when coming on at 2-0 up.

Okafor went to speak with head coach Murat Yakin to enquire about why he failed to get onto the pitch in a 4-1 group stage win over Bosnia & Herzegovina - a game in which, as it happens, new Leeds United signing Tarik Muharemovic was sent off.

The conversation ultimately had little to no sway given Okafor’s subsequent dearth of pitch time. Yakin’s inclusion of Okafor in March’s internationals ended a 15-month exile from the national team, with the rift between both figures ended following talks between the player and Swiss chiefs.

The context is that Okafor was a late injury replacement and played just 11 minutes against Australia before flying back to Leeds in a pre-planned decision, having not long come back from a hamstring injury.

Upon returning to Yorkshire, the 26-year-old went on a terrific run of four goals - including his winning brace at Old Trafford - and two assists in six games, making it impossible for Yakin to leave him out of his World Cup squad.

Okafor was still nursing the calf injury that kept him out of the final three games of the season when he joined up with the Swiss squad, but was ready to play when the tournament began.

In an admission Leeds staff will not thank him for, the winger told reporters mid-tournament: “Leeds wasn't really at stake anymore, so I took it easy for the World Cup. Then I did some individual training as a precaution. Now I'm in top shape.”

Truthfully, it is doubtful whether his being up to full fitness will have changed the plans of Yakin. Okafor was one of the most in-form Premier League players prior to his setback yet the manager hardly gave him a sniff, preferring Ruben Vargas and Dan Ndoye on the left.

Vargas’ selection was more understandable. A long-time trusted option with 67 caps, he recorded three goals and six assists in 24 La Liga games last season. Ndoye, though, registered just one goal and assist in 24 Premier League matches and is naturally a right winger.

Okafor scored eight goals and recorded an assist in 28 English top-flight matches. The call-up rift may be over but it is still looking ominous for the Leeds man, with Yakin now in a stronger position than ever after Switzerland's quarter-final run.

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For Okafor and Leeds themselves this has largely, if not totally, been unhelpful. As per FIFA stipulations, players are required 21 days of holiday at the end of a season.

It is therefore possible that the attacker, who was holidaying in France on Saturday, misses the entirety of the summer US tour thanks to Switzerland’s World Cup progress, albeit this has not been confirmed. Either way, he misses a big chunk of pre-season.

Ahead of the finals, Daniel Farke admitted that while he was disappointed for Anton Stach and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to miss out on Germany and England selections, he was pleased that they would have a rest and get a full pre-season in.

This won’t be the case for Okafor, although the lack of game time is perhaps not detrimental for Leeds. Okafor suffered at least four separate injury problems last season and though he has not been playing at the World Cup, he has been training.

With United's World Cup players set to check back in for pre-season from next week onwards, Leeds have the task of getting them ready for the new season in a shortened time-frame.

This isn't a new thing for an elite club and Okafor's Switzerland training will help, but Okafor has not started a game since May 1.

However, the bigger test for Okafor is how he reacts mentally going into next season. Farke believed that part of the reason for his super run of form in the latter part of last term was due to repairing ties with the national team.

Okafor can be forgiven for his hope and optimism waning since then. He is a confidence player, who himself has admitted he needs to be loved to play at his best.

If he was a “little annoyed” after not playing against Bosnia, he is likely mightily frustrated over what then played out afterwards.

Leeds, all the while, have created an environment in which he feels comfortable and wanted. He has admitted he has had to mature since arriving at Elland Road and is growing both as a player and a person.

Okafor will not be the only one sucking teeth this summer with Ao Tanaka crestfallen following his error that led to Brazil's stoppage-time winner against Japan.

Brenden Aaronson also played a fringe role in a home World Cup; 77 minutes in a 3-2 loss to Turkey with the US already qualified for the knockouts. So Okafor will not be the only one with an international axe to grind.

Such times are where characters are tried and forged, and Okafor's will be over the coming months.

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