Ime Okon makes official Hannover 96 debut

Europe 06 August 2025 at 03:59

Mohamed Rek

News Editor

South African defender Ime Okon has officially made his Hannover 96 debut in the German Bundesliga 2, as his new team kickstarted the 2025/26 campaign with a hard fought 1-0 victory over Kaiserslautern.

Ime Okon Makes Hannover 96 Debut in Bundesliga 2

The 21-year-old played on the left side of a three-man defense in a 3-4-3 system, having signed for the German outfit in July 2025 following the expiry of his contract with the now-defunct SuperSport United at the end of last season.

Okon put pen to paper on a four-year deal that will keep him at the club until June 2029. However, prior to securing a move to Europe, Okon was heavily linked with Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs, who were said to be interested in luring him to Naturena for the new PSL season.

Moreover, Danish side, FC Midtjyland were also keen on acquiring the player’s services, with Okon having underwent trials at the club. In addition, Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kyiv and Qatar SC also missed out on the center-back’s signature.

Okon, who is eligible to represent Nigeria through his father, debuted for South Africa at the 2025 COSAFA Cup in Bloemfontein, where Bafana Bafana finished as runners-up after a 3-0 defeat to Angola in the final.

The international recognition came on the back of a stellar 2024/25 season with SuperSport, as Okon was integral in the heart of the defense, making 24 appearances across all competitions and scoring a solitary goal.

Overall, the starlet made a total of 43 appearances for the club since earning promotion to the senior team from the reserve side in 2023. He joined the club’s youth ranks as an amateur footballer from Randburg FC in Johannesburg.

Meanwhile, Hannover will swing back into league action with a clash against Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday, 09 August. Okon’s team is currently fixated in eighth-place on the second-tier standings as they are vying for promotion to the elite league.

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