Olwethu Makhanya: Rangers' New Defender Faces Visa Challenges
Olwethu Makhanya hasn’t kicked a ball for Rangers yet, but he’s already put the support on edge.
The South African defender, signed from Philadelphia Union for around £3million, arrived at Ibrox last week as one of the headline additions to Derek McInnes’ rebuild. The plan was simple enough: bed in, get up to speed, then use the Europa League qualifier against Jagiellonia Bialystok as the stage for his Rangers debut.
It hasn’t been simple at all.
Visa drama, flight confusion, rising anxiety
Makhanya sat out the opening Scottish Premiership draw at Dundee United, the 1-1 at Tannadice coming too soon after his arrival for any realistic involvement. That felt understandable. What followed did not.
Visa issues stalled his progress and, just as supporters began to fear a bureaucratic saga, MP Dr Zubir Ahmed stepped in to help clear the way. The paperwork looked on track, the path to Poland seemingly open.
Then came the latest twist.
As Rangers flew out for the Europa League tie, Makhanya was not on the plane. Word spread quickly, and so did the concern. With the squad already stretched at centre-back, the idea of their new £3million defender missing the trip entirely sent alarms ringing.
This is a club that has seen enough transfer frustration in recent windows. The reaction was instant.
Why this one really matters
McInnes needs Makhanya now, not in a few weeks’ time.
Ben Godfrey’s injury at Tannadice – a limp off and a four-week lay-off – has left Rangers brutally short at the heart of defence. Emmanuel Fernandez is the only other senior centre-back available, a situation that would worry any manager heading into a physically demanding European tie.
For Makhanya, it should have been the perfect opening. A high-stakes away leg, a backline crying out for presence and aggression, and a manager who prizes exactly the kind of physical edge the South African brings.
So when fans realised he wasn’t on the flight to Poland, the panic made sense.
Calm in the chaos
The temperature dropped a little when Rangers fan outlet Four Lads Had A Dream stepped in with clarity.
Makhanya hadn’t gone missing. He was in London, finalising his visa approval so he could join up with the squad directly in Poland. The plan, as it stands, is for him to be available for his debut against Jagiellonia.
He is not alone. New signing Daisuke Yokota is also expected to be in contention, adding another fresh option to a squad still trying to find its rhythm.
The message to the support: don’t confuse absence from the flight with absence from the tie.
McInnes searching for his first win
The 1-1 draw at Dundee United left McInnes frustrated, but not bewildered. The performance looked exactly like what it was: a new squad still learning each other’s movements, still grappling with new instructions.
The spine that started at Tannadice is likely to remain intact. Lawrence Shankland, Thelo Aasgaard, Ivor Pandur, Tuur Rommens and Fernandez are all expected to keep their places as McInnes tries to build some early continuity.
Beyond that, nothing is guaranteed.
Vanja Dragojevic is pushing hard to start in goal, with the prospect of one of two debuts in the XI. Youssef Chermiti and Dan Neil are also in the frame, while Yokota offers something different in the attacking third.
And then there is Makhanya.
Thrown in or held back?
McInnes faces a stark choice. He can protect his new defender, give him time on the training pitch, and delay the debut. Or he can throw him straight into a Europa League tie in Poland and ask him to handle a Jagiellonia side that will not back down.
The Polish outfit are no soft touch. This will be a contest played with a clear physical edge, exactly the kind of battle that tends to define early-season European qualifiers.
That is where Makhanya comes in. His game is built on timing, aggression, and a willingness to engage in the scrap. If his visa is cleared and his fitness is deemed sufficient, it is hard to ignore how perfectly suited he looks to the demands of this particular night.
Rangers wanted a defender who could change the feel of their backline. Now, with Godfrey out and the season already demanding answers, they might need him to do it from his very first whistle.
