The international future of Ime Okon is one that has dominated discussions for a while with the highly rated defender eligible to represent Nigeria and South Africa, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
20 year old Okon was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father and a South African mother making him eligible for both countries, but despite getting a call up to the senior national team of South Africa the Supersport United defender says he is still undecided on his international future.
That statement hasn’t gone down well with former captain of the senior national team of Nigeria Thulani “Tyson” Hlatshwayo, who feels Okon owes South Africa his allegiance going by the fact that he was raised and nurtured by the system.
“He grew up here, he studied here, and coach Gavin Hunt took him from Randburg Football Club. He is South African, and he speaks Afrikaans. I have told him he needs to stay in South Africa because it will be difficult for him to crack into the Nigeria national team,” Tyson said of Ikon.
He went further to say he will stop offering help to the rising defender if he goes ahead to play for Nigeria. “I told him I am going to stop helping him if he chooses to play for Nigeria because there are things in his game that need to be polished,” Hlatshwayo noted.
“The more he plays, the more experience he is going to get, and he will do well. I don’t know if it has something to do with him being young, but he is quick and strong, and we complement one another very well.”
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
