Promotion boost for Bafana defender in Germany

New Bafana Bafana defender Ime Okon’s hope of competing in the Bundesliga next season received a major boost on Saturday as his club Hanover won away to keep up their promotion hopes.

Okon, who boosted his own hopes of playing in the World Cup with two solid performances for South Africa against Panama last month, helped his side to beat Karlsruhe 3-1 away in the German second division on Saturday.

The win keeps Hannover in third place, four points behind leaders Schalke 04 and one point behind second-placed Paderborn.

Hannover have three games left in the season while Paderborn host Schalke on Sunday.

The top two finishers in the German second division win automatic promotion, while the third-placed side meets the third-bottom finisher in the Bundesliga in a two-legged playoff to decide a place in the Bundesliga.

Okon has started more than half of Hannover’s matches in his first season overseas after moving from SuperSport United at the end of the last Premier Soccer League campaign. He played the full 90 minutes on Saturday but picked up a yellow card.

Hannover have two home games and one away in their last three fixtures, all on successive weekends from next Sunday, 3 May.