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Making Waves Abroad
For years, ardent Nigerian football followers have been stunned over the meteoric rise of not one, two but three of Swiss born Nigerian Footballers, Noah, Elijah and Isiah Okafor.
These football talents are currently the toast of the Swiss league and they are not letting up. All three are professional soccer players and are very popular on social media garnering several thousands of followers online.
They call themselves ‘Die Drei Okafors’ and are very active online.
The eldest, Noah is about the most popular and well travelled of the trio having played professionally for clubs outside of Switzerland where they were born.
The brothers are one of Nigeria’s football’s most talked-about families — Swiss-born, Igbo-rooted, and all chasing the game at professional level.
None of them have played for the Super Eagles yet, but their Nigerian heritage runs deep, and only two are eligible to represent Nigeria,with Noah ,having played for the Swiss national team.
The brothers were born in Binningen, Switzerland to Christian Okafor, a Nigerian Igbo father, and Nicole Okafor, a Swiss mother.
They grew up in a football house. Noah has spoken openly about his pride in his Igbo identity, celebrating a league title with the Nigerian flag in 2023 and making trips to Nigeria to connect with his paternal side. There are 5 siblings in total: older brother Joel, sister Sona, and the three footballing brothers.
NOAH OKAFOR — THE ELDEST WAS BORN IN 2000. WINGER/STRIKER.
Noah is the most well-known of the three. He came through FC Basel’s academy and broke through at 17. From there he moved to Red Bull Salzburg, then AC Milan in Serie A, and in August 2025 signed a permanent 4-year deal with Leeds United in the Premier League for a reported €21m.
Internationally he chose Switzerland. He made his senior debut in 2019 and scored his first goal in 2021. He was named in Switzerland’s 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Friends like Tammy Abraham and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have praised his mentality and explosive feet at Leeds. Abraham also noted they share Nigerian family roots.
ELIJAH IFEANYICHUKWU OKAFOR — THE DEFENDER
Born in 2003. Right-back. Elijah followed Noah through FC Basel’s youth ranks. He played for FC Lugano II in 2024/25 and signed with Lugano’s U-21 side, with the club calling him “the younger brother of the international Noah”. Reports in 2024 linked him as a “Super Eagles prospect” but did not materialise.
He’s described as part of a “storied footballing family” and a “football dynasty” the club wants to develop.
ISAIAH OKAFOR — THE MIDFIELDER
Born 2005. Midfielder/Center-back depending on tactics.
Isaiah was the youngest to make headlines early. At 16 he announced a move from FC Basel youth to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. In 2025 he joined FC Zürich’s U21 team.
Like Elijah, Isaiah is eligible for both Switzerland and Nigeria. He said he was “very happy to have signed” with Leverkusen and thanked everyone responsible,at the time.
The Okafors are often compared to other Nigerian football families like the Okochas — Emmanuel and Jay-Jay , brothers who both wore the green and white. The difference is the Okafor boys started in Europe and are still deciding their international paths. Despite playing for Switzerland at youth and senior level, Noah has kept ties to Nigeria and inspired younger brothers who are still eligible. Coaches note their discipline and calm response to setbacks. And the media in Nigeria has watched them closely.
Fans in Lagos and across Nigeria still ask: will any Okafor wear the green and white?
Whether they choose Switzerland or Nigeria, the Okafor brothers already represent something bigger: a new generation of Igbo-Nigerian talent raised abroad, carrying the name Okafor onto European pitches while keeping one eye on home.
It’s a story still being written. If Elijah or Isaiah get a Super Eagles call-up, Nigeria would have its first set of Okafor brothers in the national team , joining a long list of notable brothers in the Super Eagles.
Wole Alakija
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