Olwethu Makhanya: A Fresh Start with Bafana Bafana
Olwethu Makhanya has never looked more settled in Europe, yet his words this week carried the sting of a player who feels his country never truly trusted him.
The Rangers defender, widely seen as one of South Africa’s brightest defensive prospects, opened up about the strain of life under former Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos – a spell that left him watching the FIFA World Cup in June from the bench, not the pitch.
Under Broos, Makhanya’s career with the national team stalled. His club profile grew, his reputation abroad sharpened, but his international minutes did not. That disconnect bit hard.
So when the coaching baton passed and Pitso Mosimane stepped into the role, Makhanya saw more than a simple change in the dugout. He saw a reset.
"I saw the coaching change as an opportunity for a fresh start in the national team because I always felt like I was overlooked by the previous coach," he told SABC Sport, the frustration still close to the surface.
Broos’ era was marked by strong opinions, and one in particular cut across Makhanya’s own journey. The Belgian repeatedly questioned the level of Major League Soccer – the league where the defender spent key years developing his game. For Makhanya, that criticism never lined up with the reality he knew.
One of the enduring debates around Broos was his dismissive stance on MLS. He doubted the competitiveness of the American top flight. Makhanya, who lived that league from the inside, could not accept that view.
"I never understood the criticism because all these people probably never actually watched the MLS. People that really watch that league will tell you that it's high level football," he said, pushing back at a narrative he believes is built on reputation, not evidence.
He has seen three very different football worlds up close: the physical, unforgiving rhythm of the Scottish Premiership, the athletic and increasingly tactical MLS, and the domestic Betway Premiership back home. That experience has given him a clear hierarchy in his mind.
"Honestly, if I were to rank them, I'll put the Scottish Premiership first, second is the MLS, and the Betway Premiership is third," he explained.
It is a ranking that underlines his point. For Makhanya, MLS is not a soft landing or a step down. It sits just behind Scotland in his personal order, ahead of the league that feeds Bafana Bafana.
Now, under Mosimane, he is hoping those views – and his performances – are judged on the evidence of the pitch, not on old assumptions about where he has played.
