Olwethu Makhanya's Fresh Start Under Pitso Mosimane

Olwethu Makhanya doesn’t hide how bruising his time under Hugo Broos felt.

Now a rising defensive force at Rangers and widely seen as one of South Africa’s brightest exports, he spent the June FIFA World Cup window watching from the bench while Bafana Bafana toiled without him. For a player in his form, that cut deep.

The mood has shifted. With Pitso Mosimane stepping in to lead the national team, Makhanya sees a line drawn between eras.

"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.

That sense of being sidelined was not just about minutes on the pitch. It was also about perception.

During Broos’ tenure, one of the recurring flashpoints was his scepticism about Major League Soccer – the league where Makhanya sharpened key parts of his game. The Belgian questioned the standard of the American top flight, a stance that never sat well with the defender.

Makhanya still doesn’t buy it.

"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.

He has lived that pathway, so he backed it with specifics rather than sentiment. Asked to stack up the competitions he knows best, Makhanya didn’t hesitate.

"Honestly, if I were to rank them, I'll put the Scottish Premiership first, second is the MLS, and the Betway Premiership is third."

It’s a clear message from a player who feels he’s had to argue for his footballing education as much as his place in the squad. Now, under Mosimane, he finally expects to be judged on what he does on the pitch, not where he once played.