Hannover 96’s towering centre-back had long been on Hugo Broos’ radar, but injury kept him out of the last camp, making this call-up all the more significant.
Bafana are set to face Panama twice as part of their preparations for the FIFA World Cup, with the first clash scheduled for Friday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, before the teams meet again in Cape Town.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, Okon expressed his excitement at finally linking up with the national squad.
“I’m very excited to be here and be amongst the guys,” he said at a pre-match press conference earlier this week.
“I had some problems before, but now I’m just happy to be back and looking forward to the training sessions and the next few games.
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“I got the call while I was training, and I was excited because I knew I had to come this time, no matter what. So, I’m very happy to be here.”
Okon’s journey began at Randburg FC before he progressed through the ranks at SuperSport United, where he made his breakthrough. His consistent development has now earned him recognition at international level.
“Since my adolescent years, I’ve been working hard, and this is where I want to be,” he added.
“I think everything falls into place once you keep on working and believe that you are going to achieve what you want to achieve. It’s just very special to me.”