How Noah Okafor showed he can be the difference-maker for Leeds United
How Noah Okafor showed he can be the difference-maker for Leeds United
“Two days off! Two days off!”
Though muffled, that seemed to be the chant heard from the away dressing room at Molineux on Saturday. Anyone of a Leeds United persuasion standing in the tunnel was grinning as they strained their ears to hear the chorus after the 3-1 win over a winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Then came a cheer as the players’ request was, seemingly, granted by manager Daniel Farke. Midfielder Ao Tanaka was the first to emerge for his post-match drills and confirmed Sunday and Monday would be their own.
It’s the currency many footballers have traded in with their managers over the years: a bonus day off for wins.
Veterans like Neil Warnock, Sam Allardyce and Martin O’Neill subscribed to this type of incentive, according to their former players. In 2025, based on this Leeds reaction, it remains the ultimate pay-off.
Wolves ended the afternoon dominating the key statistics, except for the one which matters.
One of Leeds’ most effective outlets came down the left flank, as Gabriel Gudmundsson, Anton Stach and Noah Okafor repeatedly cut through the home defence.
As the most expensive signing in the United attack this summer, Okafor will be expected to shoulder a significant portion of the goals and assists. There was promise at Fulham last weekend, but this was another step, or should I say dribble, forward for the Swiss international on Saturday.
The headline, of course, has to be the goal Okafor scored in the 45th minute, his team’s third. He was quick in thought, quick with his feet and clinical off his weaker left foot. These are the far-from-easy chances Leeds need Okafor to capitalise on.
It was the goal his overall performance had warranted. Naturally, as an £18million (€20.8m, $24.3m) purchase at a newly promoted club, Okafor was not perfect, but in a team where attacking output has been questioned he looked the most threatening outlet.
The former AC Milan player has the ability to beat a man in the penalty box. As early as the sixth minute, he dropped in from the left flank and caused problems in the home defence as he went past, not for the first time, Wolves defender Emmanuel Agbadou.
