SuperSport United are negotiating a potential deal for defender Ime Okon to join Danish side FC Midtjylland, iDiski Times has learned.
Okon, who has a Nigerian father and South African mother, attended trials with the Danish side last year. Midtjylland finished third in the Superliga last season, behind Sibusiso Zuma’s former club FC Copenhagen by six points.
They were founded in 1999 and are again lying third on the table with 36 points this campaign so far, level with second-placed Copenhagen and just one behind leaders Brondby.
They have won the league title three times and two DBU Pokalen cups.
The 20-year-old attracted interest with the Superliga side, and they invited him over to undergo an assessment.
Having moved fast after the first phase to see him closer, the deal between the two sides is set to happen either now or at the end of the season as the Danish club rate him highly.
Okon has had a whirlwind two years and was named in the preliminary Africa Cup of Nations squad by Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos.
Having joined Gavin Hunt’s side from Randburg FC, he was part of Thabo September’s side last season that went on to claim the DStv Diski Challenge trophy, before his first-team promotion and breakout campaign.
Okon, who turned 20 on Tuesday, was an ever-present figure in the first half of the season, and is one of the standout talents in the league that’s unsurprisingly caught the attention of European suitors.
He featured in 22 matches in all competitions and his fine performances even put him on the radar of Hugo Broos.
Okon is currently suspended by the PSL, having been sent off against Richards Bay FC in December last year before the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
He served the first suspension when SuperSport drew 1-1 with Stellenbosch FC when the league resumed on Friday and also missed the Nedbank Cup Round 32 clash with Cape Town City at Lucas Moripe Stadium.
Okon is set to be part of SuperSport when they host Morden Future in the CAF Confederation Cup Group A match at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday.
Story by Robin-Duke Madlala (@duke_robin).
