Hannover 96: Okon Requires Time to Adjust
Marcus Mann, the managing director of Hannover 96, spoke about the acquisition of South African international Ime Okon. He emphasized that while they have gathered information on the player, he will require time to adjust to his new surroundings.
On Tuesday, the German club officially announced the signing of Okon from SuperSport United, with a contract extending until June 30, 2029.
The 21-year-old departs SuperSport after being promoted to the senior team in July 2023. He has made 57 appearances for the club, netting two goals.
“Ime demonstrates exciting skills and remarkable physical characteristics,” Mann remarked.
“Christian Titz and André Kilian have closely monitored his progress for some time. We collected scouting reports and evaluated his athletic profile, which is quite outstanding.
“It’s evident he will need time to acclimatize, but he is eager to learn, and we have complete faith in his potential for significant growth. He should concentrate on integrating well into Hannover and our squad.”
After advancing through the youth ranks at Randburg FC, Okon joined the SuperSport United youth team in 2022.
He made his professional debut in the Betway Premiership in 2023.
Overall, Okon has played 57 matches for SuperSport, including appearances in the CAF Confederations Cup, scoring two goals.
Currently, he is representing South Africa and debuted for the national team in early June.
Okon has made five appearances in the COSAFA Cup, helping his team reach the final, where he found the net for the first time in a group match against Zimbabwe.
Okon stated: “I’m thrilled to sign with Hannover 96. I welcome the challenge of playing in Germany with great enthusiasm. I am eager to contribute to the club, improve my skills, and grow as an individual. I consider myself a fast, strong defender and aim to use these strengths to support the team.”
Okon is the 13th player to join Hannover 96 this summer, following signings such as Virgil Ghita (KS Cracovia), Waniss Taibi, Mustapha Bundu (Plymouth Argyle), Hendry Blank (RB Salzburg), Benedikt Pichler (Holstein Kiel), Bastian Allgeier (SSV Ulm), Jonas Sterner (Holstein Kiel), Maurice Neubauer (SV Elversberg), Benjamin Källman, and Franz Roggow (Borussia Dortmund). Additionally, the club has welcomed back Marius Wörl (Arminia Bielefeld) after a loan and secured Hayate Matsuda (FC Mito HollyHock) permanently for the first team.
Okon is scheduled to join team training with 96 on Wednesday morning.