This time last year, Ime Okon had just come off weeks of writing his final matric examinations at Florida Park High School when the call to make the move to SuperSport United came.
Completing his schooling meant the end of wearing the black 'Parkies' blazer and the end of the regular five-minute walks that he had to take from home in Florida, west of Johannesburg.
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Okon's hope was in progressing with his football career from Randburg FC where he had spent just under two years after coming from the Orlando Pirates development after originally starting out at Florida Albion, which is just up the road from home.
Along the way last year (2022) during the June school holidays, Okon had been to Cape Town City on trials where after impressing, the club from the Mother City chose not to make any follow ups.
So, when the opportunity to join the SuperSport United reserve team as the dates of the calendar moved into a New Year, Okon was as grateful as he was excited.
As he turned 19 on February 20, he was gradually establishing himself in the DStv Diski Challenge proud to have sat on the bench in the Nedbank Cup defeat to Dondol Stars a few days earlier.
Fast forward 10 months later, Okon has outpaced his wildest imaginations with his career taking off to a flying start.
Since making his first team debut at SuperSport against Richards Bay in the opening league match of the season, the towering teenager has only not been involved in just a single game.
This means 20 appearances (playing from start to finish in 15) leaving him with the second highest minutes at the club this season after Grant Margeman.
Hugo Broos, the Bafana Bafana coach has taken notice and rewarded Okon with his first call up in August after playing just three games in topflight football.
With the AFCON finals just days away, Broos has again included the SuperSport defender in his provisional squad making him the youngest member of the team.
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While Okon is yet to earn his first cap there is absolute joy for the teenager whose other former school – Florida Primary – will take pride in that they also have one of their other students Lyle Foster in the same Bafana squad.
The plus is that the challenging circumstances that his family (Okon is the second of three kids) had to put up with while growing up will now change for the better.
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