Hannover 96 defender Ime Okon has been told to prove his commitment to the senior national team of South Africa by honouring the invitation to play in the friendly game against Zambia in mid July, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Since moving to Germany after his senior debut for South Africa, the 21 year old hasn’t honoured any invitation to play for South Africa largely due to injuries, and also time to settle down at his new base.
Born in South Africa to a Nigerian father, he has already pledged his international future to South Africa despite flirting with Nigeria in the early days of his rise at SuperSport United..
Former South Africa international Mlungisi Ngubane, who is known for his outspoken nature has sounded a warning to him ahead of the next international round of games.
“It’s important for Ime Okon to honour his call-up if he makes it into the final squad for the match against Zambia. He can’t just show up for the AFCON and the World Cup. He needs to come and fight for his position,” Ngubane was quoted as saying by Kickoff.
“Many of us couldn’t watch him play at SuperSport because it was unclear which country he would choose between South Africa and Nigeria. Some even thought he was a foreigner, only to discover that he is actually South African.
“Now that he has made his decision, more people will start paying attention to him, especially since he is playing abroad.
“We understand that our players often find it difficult to honour national team call-ups after joining new clubs overseas, as those clubs tend to be restrictive. Some players want to secure their place in their club’s first team before committing to the national squad.
“However, playing for Bafana will provide an opportunity for his club in Germany to recognise that he is a national team player,” added ‘Professor’.
