Okon draws motivation from Bafana Bafana’s rise

Ime Okon says Bafana Bafana’s progress up the world rankings is motivating him as he continues to establish himself as a regular in the South Africa squad.

The defender was one of only four players to play every minute of all four matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside Ronwen Williams, Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Khuliso Mudau.

Okon’s contribution has helped Bafana Bafana climb into the top 50 of the rankings, a rise he believes can inspire the team to go even further.

“It is really motivating and when you see the teams in front of you then you believe that you can get more places up,” Okon said.

“It is very motivating. We are just looking forward to getting better spots now.”

He was speaking before South Africa’s international friendly against Egypt on Sunday, a fixture Okon sees as an opportunity for the squad to measure itself against one of the continent’s leading teams.

“As we know, Egypt is one of the biggest teams in Africa and as a player you always want to play the best teams,” he said.

“You always want to challenge yourself and I think the feeling within the team is very exciting to play against them and test ourselves and show them what we are about.

“I think all the guys are really excited and looking forward to the game.”

Okon has had to deal with criticism from some people because of his roots during his journey into international football. He began his career at Florida Albion before moving to Orlando Pirates juniors, Randburg FC, SuperSport United and German club Hannover 96.

The former Florida Park High School pupil also had to overcome those challenges while breaking into the senior national team, where he is now becoming a consistent presence.

He credited coach Pitso Mosimane for setting clear expectations during the current camp and said the players were responding positively to the intensity of the work.

“The coach knows what he wants and he tells us what he wants, and we have to put it on the pitch and work hard,” Okon said.

“It is very intense but that is what we signed up for, and it is working for us, and we are happy with it.”

The defender added that the squad’s familiarity and recent results had created a positive atmosphere.

“We know each other quite well in the group… we get along well and we are winning so it is a good feeling in the camp,” he said.

“We are just enjoying the time here.”