Two-time Bundesliga champions, Hannover 96, have secured the services of South African defender Ime Okon on a four-year contract following the expiration of his deal with Supersport United.
The 21-year-old, who is also eligible to play for Nigeria, completed the move after trials with European clubs including Denmark’s FC Midtjylland and Dynamo Kyiv of Ukraine.
Okon expressed his desire to help Hannover return to the Bundesliga after narrowly missing promotion in the recently concluded season.
Speaking about his goals, the left-footed centre-back stated he is excited about the challenge ahead and is looking forward to growing both as a player and a person in Germany.
Hannover 96’s Managing Director, Marcus Mann, praised the defender’s qualities and revealed that the club had been monitoring Okon’s development closely.
“Ime is a player with exciting potential and very good physical attributes. Christian Titz and André Kilian have been observing his development for some time,” Mann said via the club’s official website.
He continued, “We then collected data on him during scouting and evaluated his athletic profile, which is exceptional. 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.”
In his first words as a Hannover 96 player, Okon expressed joy and ambition.
“I’m very happy to be signing with Hannover 96. I’m very excited about this challenge of being able to play in Germany. I’m really looking forward to the club, wanting to become a better player and mature as a person,” he said.
Describing his playing style, Okon added: “I would describe myself as a fast, robust defender – I’ll try to bring these strengths to bear from now on and thus help the team.”
Though born in Johannesburg to a Nigerian father, Okon has chosen to represent South Africa on the international stage.
Reflecting on that decision, he said, “I grew up here, everything I know is South African. I can barely speak the native Nigerian language, but I know my roots. I’m pretty much South African, but I am also proudly Nigerian.”
Okon made his international debut for South Africa at the 2025 COSAFA Cup.
He said, “Playing for Bafana has been a dream. My mom always said, ‘one day Bafana Bafana!’ So, it’s been a big thing for my family. To be in a Bafana jersey would be great.”
