Revealed: The former Percy Tau club that missed out on Okon

A club that Bafana Bafana star Percy Tau played for narrowly missed out on signing former SuperSport United defender Ime Okon, who recently joined German outfit Hannover 96.

Okon was unveiled by the Bundesliga 2 side on Wednesday, joining the club on a free transfer after his contract with Matsatsantsa expired at the end of the previous season.

The young centre-back reportedly penned a four-year contract with Hannover, a deal that will keep him at the club until June 2029.

He made his move after an impressive spell with Matsatsantsa, where he notched up 57 appearances, scoring two goals in the process. 

He had been linked with a couple of overseas clubs, including Ukrainian powerhouse Dynamo Kyiv and Danish side Midtjylland, before making this move. Meanwhile, locally, both Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates had also reportedly placed him on their radar.

Earlier this year, the 21-year-old centre-back underwent an assessment at Dynamo Kyiv. He spent a few weeks in Ukraine in January before rejoining the Swanky Boys for the remaining matches of the 2024/25 season.

Despite their significant interest, Kyiv didn’t sign Okon as he eventually made a switch to Hannover 96.

QATAR SC HAD PUT OFFER FOR IME OKON

It has emerged that Qatar SC, a former club of Tau, also submitted an offer for the Bafana Bafana international, but they were outmanoeuvred by German club Hannover 96, who ultimately signed him.

Tau was with the Qatari club from January this year, joining on a short-term deal after departing Al Ahly six months before the end of his contract.

The 31-year-old attacker played a role in helping the club avoid relegation from the top-flight. During his stint with Qatar SC, he provided assists for four goals in the 10 matches he played across all competitions.

Four weeks ago, Qatar SC announced the departure of Bafana Bafana forward following the conclusion of the Qatar Stars League season.

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