Ime Okon plays Bundesliga big brother for Mhango

South African national team defender Ime Okon has been credited with helping Malawian starlet Mwisho Mhango find his feet at Hannover 96 FC in Germany.

The 2 Bundesliga side says the Bafana Bafana star and Sierra Leone striker Mustapha Bundu were playing the role of big brothers for the 18-year-old forward.

Seit seinem Wechsel aus Malawi nach arbeitet Mhango daran, im Profifußball Fuß zu fassen. Christian Titz gibt einen Einblick in Mhangos Entwicklung und ordnet ein, was für den nächsten Schritt entscheidend ist.#H96 #NiemalsAllein ⚫️⚪️💚https://t.co/Fl40qyVMJB

— Hannover 96 (@Hannover96) February 3, 2026

Giving an update on Mhango’s progress during his integration programme, Hannover 96 says the African duo has played an instrumental role in the Malawian’s cultural adjustment.

In a statement, the 2 Bundesliga side adds that Okon was in particular helping the 2025 COSAFA Youth Championship top scorer settle down in Germany.

What role is Okon playing on Mhango at Hannover 96?

“The cultural and sporting adjustment was made easier for him by his teammates: Mustapha Bundu and Ime Okon, in particular, took him under their wing early on, as they could assess his situation well from their own experience,” reads part of the statement.

“Okon moved from South Africa to the Maschsee almost three months before Mhango and was able to share his experience with the young midfielder. Bundu comes from Sierra Leone and arrived in Lower Saxony a few days before Okon, but has been playing in Europe for several years.

Hannover 96 coach Christian Titz has since touted Mhango’s progress as he pushes into the main team squad.

“He’s already a significant step further along than when he started with us,” the head coach said.

Mhango signed five-year contract with German club

“I don’t want to make any predictions about Mwisho. We thought long and hard about what the right path is for him. And we came to the conclusion that the high-intensity training sessions with us and the recurring test matches are a good path for him.”

As a non-EU player, the Junior Flames attacker is ineligible to play for Hannover 96 Under-23 side in the fourth tier Regionalliga Nord, hence limited to training with the first team squad and selected friendlies.

Mhango signed a five-year contract with the German club from Lilongwe-based Ascent Soccer in September 2025, becoming the second Malawian ever to sign for a Bundesliga outfit.

Former Flames striker Dan Chitsulo blazed the trail when he joined Cologne FC’s youth team in 2000.