Bafana Bafana defender Ime Okon has completed his dream move to Europe after signing with German second division side Hannover 98 on Tuesday.
Okon’s signing was confirmed by the Bundesliga 2 side which expressed its delight at netting one of the brightest prospects from South Africa, following the player’s impressive stint in the PSL with SuperSport United.
The central defender has joined Hannover as a free agent after rejecting a new deal at SuperSport as well as snubbing Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, who were also interested in his signature, as he only had eyes on a move to Europe.
What has Hannover said about Ime Okon?
“Ime is a player with exciting potential and very good physical attributes. Christian Titz and Andre Kilian have been observing his development for some time. We then collected data on him during scouting and evaluated his athletic profile, which is exceptional,” Hannover managing director Marcus Mann explained.
“It's quite clear that he will need time to adapt, but he is extremely willing to learn, so we definitely see the potential in him to develop really well. Now we want him to settle in well in Hannover and into our team,” he added, hinting that the defender will have to be patient before getting his opportunities for the German club.
Okon was thrilled by the move, expressing confidence that Hannover will provide him with the right platform to develop his football career.
“I'm delighted to be signing with Hannover 96. I'm very excited about this challenge of playing in Germany,” said Okon.
Defender recently made his international debut
“I'm really looking forward to the club, wanting to become a better player and mature as a person. I would describe myself as a fast, robust defender—I'll try to contribute these strengths from now on and help the team.”
Okon moved from his youth club Randburg FC to the SuperSport youth team in 2022 before getting promoted to the senior team the following year by former coach Gavin Hunt and he leaves Matsatsantsa after playing 57 matches and scoring two goals across all competitions.
The 21-year-old, who made his Bafana Bafana debut during the COSAFA Cup last month, is Hannover’s 13th summer signing and has penned a four-year deal.
