# Ime Okon
**Ime Okon** (full name Ime Daniel Okon, born 2004 in [Johannesburg](https://www.edgepedia.org/johannesburg)) is a South African professional footballer who plays as a center-back for [Hannover 96](https://www.edgepedia.org/hannover-96) in Germany's 2. Bundesliga and for the South Africa national team. He is 1.87 m tall, right-footed, and holds both South African and Nigerian citizenship.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/ime-okon/profil/spieler/1107265) • [2](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/player/ime-okon)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2004, Johannesburg, South Africa; 1.87 m, 86 kg[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/ime-okon/profil/spieler/1107265) • [2](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/player/ime-okon) |
| Club | Hannover 96 (2. Bundesliga), joined 1 July 2025, contract to 30 June 2029; listed market value €2.00m[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/ime-okon/profil/spieler/1107265) |
| 2025/26 club season | 25 2. Bundesliga appearances, 2 goals, 1,713 minutes[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/7831/ime-okon) • [4](https://footystats.org/players/south-africa/ime-okon) |
| 2. Bundesliga debut | 3 August 2025 as a starter against Kaiserslautern, aged 21 years and 164 days[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/7831/ime-okon) |
| 2026 FIFA World Cup | 4 appearances, all 360 minutes, for South Africa; team eliminated by Canada in the Round of 32[5](https://www.11v11.com/players/ime-okon-278351/) |
| National team | South Africa since 2025; sources differ on totals (see below)[6](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/ime-okon/154042) • [1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/ime-okon/profil/spieler/1107265) |
## Club career
**Early clubs.** Okon played for Randburg FC until June 2022 and then for Siwelele FC from July 2022 to June 2025, coming through the South African game; his listed youth club is Florida Park High School.[7](https://www.kicker.de/ime-okon-2/spieler) • [1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/ime-okon/profil/spieler/1107265) He signed for Hannover 96 of the 2. Bundesliga, Germany's second tier, on 1 July 2025 on a contract running to 30 June 2029.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/ime-okon/profil/spieler/1107265)
**Hannover 96.** His 2. Bundesliga debut came on 3 August 2025, starting against [Kaiserslautern](https://www.edgepedia.org/kaiserslautern) at 21 years and 164 days.[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/7831/ime-okon) In his first season he made 25 league appearances (19 starts, 1,713 minutes) and scored 2 goals, with 8 clean sheets and 4 yellow cards; per-90 figures included 5.04 clearances, 2.57 aerial duels won, and 0.05 times dribbled past.[4](https://footystats.org/players/south-africa/ime-okon) A muscle injury sidelined him from 29 September to 6 November 2025, a 39-day absence.[8](https://www.transfermarkt.com/ime-okon/verletzungen/spieler/1107265)
In the 2026/27 season Hannover has used him mainly as a substitute while managing his return from the summer tournament: he has appeared in all six of the club's league matches, totaling 107 minutes with one start, and last featured on 20 September in a 2-1 win over Bochum.[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/7831/ime-okon) Across his 2. Bundesliga career to that point he had played 31 times with 2 goals and no assists.[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/7831/ime-okon)
## International career
Okon debuted for South Africa (Bafana Bafana) in 2025, appearing in the COSAFA Cup, where he scored in a 2-0 group win over Zimbabwe on 7 June 2025, and in international friendlies.[5](https://www.11v11.com/players/ime-okon-278351/) He said his performances in March 2026 friendlies convinced the coaching staff to trust him ahead of the World Cup.[9](https://www.goal.com/en-za/lists/bafana-bafana-s-ime-okon-vows-to-bring-2026-fifa-world-cup-experience-back-to-european-club-football-i-ll-be-back-in-full-flow-in-the-next-few-days/blt2df794ad3cba1f40)
**2026 FIFA World Cup.** At the tournament in North America he was a fixture in the South African backline, playing every minute of all four matches (360 minutes) in a 3-5-2 system, including the opening group match against Mexico, a 1-1 draw with Czechia, a 1-0 win over Korea Republic, and a 0-1 Round-of-32 loss to Canada.[5](https://www.11v11.com/players/ime-okon-278351/) • [10](https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/media/native/tournaments/fifa-world-cup/2026/PMSR-M25-CZE-V-RSA.pdf) He called walking out for the opening match at the [Estadio Azteca](https://www.edgepedia.org/estadio-azteca) "probably the greatest moment of my career so far".[9](https://www.goal.com/en-za/lists/bafana-bafana-s-ime-okon-vows-to-bring-2026-fifa-world-cup-experience-back-to-european-club-football-i-ll-be-back-in-full-flow-in-the-next-few-days/blt2df794ad3cba1f40) In World Cup play he averaged 6.25 clearances and 1.25 interceptions per 90 minutes and was not dribbled past.[4](https://footystats.org/players/south-africa/ime-okon)
After the tournament he returned to Hannover for pre-season, saying he wanted to bring what he learned against elite attackers back to the German second division.[9](https://www.goal.com/en-za/lists/bafana-bafana-s-ime-okon-vows-to-bring-2026-fifa-world-cup-experience-back-to-european-club-football-i-ll-be-back-in-full-flow-in-the-next-few-days/blt2df794ad3cba1f40) In September 2026 he added two [Africa Cup of Nations](https://www.edgepedia.org/africa-cup-of-nations) qualifying appearances, scoring in a 2-1 win over Guinea and a 5-0 win over Eritrea.[5](https://www.11v11.com/players/ime-okon-278351/)
**Cap totals differ between sources.** L'Équipe lists 9 caps and 1 international goal plus participation in the 2026 World Cup; Transfermarkt lists 7 caps and 0 goals; Opta's national-team career table shows 6 appearances with 1 goal for South Africa. The differences reflect different counting windows and competitions, so no single total is settled across databases.[6](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/ime-okon/154042) • [1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/ime-okon/profil/spieler/1107265) • [11](https://theanalyst.com/players/7831/ime-okon/national/career)
## Playing style
Scouting descriptions characterize Okon as a front-foot center-back who steps in early, tracks runners cleanly, and favors assertive interventions, with timing and positioning as the base of his game.[12](https://the-goalpost.com/players/ime-okon) His 2025/26 numbers support an aerially strong, hard-to-beat profile: 2.57 aerial duels won per 90 (81st percentile among 2. Bundesliga defenders) and only 1 time dribbled past in 25 league matches (95th percentile).[4](https://footystats.org/players/south-africa/ime-okon)
## References
1. [Ime Okon player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.us/ime-okon/profil/spieler/1107265)
2. [Ime Okon player profile, Bundesliga.com](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/player/ime-okon)
3. [Ime Okon, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/7831/ime-okon)
4. [Ime Okon Stats, FootyStats](https://footystats.org/players/south-africa/ime-okon)
5. [Ime Okon Football Player Statistics, 11v11.com](https://www.11v11.com/players/ime-okon-278351/)
6. [Ime Okon fiche joueur, L'Équipe](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/ime-okon/154042)
7. [Ime Okon Spielerprofil, kicker](https://www.kicker.de/ime-okon-2/spieler)
8. [Ime Okon injury history, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.com/ime-okon/verletzungen/spieler/1107265)
9. [Bafana Bafana's Ime Okon vows to bring 2026 FIFA World Cup experience back to European club football, Goal.com South Africa](https://www.goal.com/en-za/lists/bafana-bafana-s-ime-okon-vows-to-bring-2026-fifa-world-cup-experience-back-to-european-club-football-i-ll-be-back-in-full-flow-in-the-next-few-days/blt2df794ad3cba1f40)
10. [Czechia 1-1 South Africa, Post Match Summary Report, FIFA Training Centre](https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/media/native/tournaments/fifa-world-cup/2026/PMSR-M25-CZE-V-RSA.pdf)
11. [Ime Okon International Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/7831/ime-okon/national/career)
12. [Ime Okon Stats, Ratings & Profile, GoalPost](https://the-goalpost.com/players/ime-okon)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of Africa › Southern African footballers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license