Olwethu Makhanya's Fresh Start with Bafana Bafana

Olwethu Makhanya doesn’t hide it. The Hugo Broos era with Bafana Bafana left a mark – and not a good one.

The Rangers defender, widely regarded as one of South Africa’s brightest defensive prospects, spent the June FIFA World Cup window watching from the bench, his status in Europe doing little to shift his place in the pecking order. Now, with Pitso Mosimane stepping in, Makhanya has finally put words to the frustration that built up under the former coach.

“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.

Those feelings didn’t emerge in a vacuum. Broos’ public criticism of Major League Soccer – a league that shaped a key phase of Makhanya’s career – became one of the flashpoints of his tenure. The Belgian questioned the standard of the American top flight. Makhanya never bought into that assessment.

For him, the debate was simple: too many opinions, not enough watching.

“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.

That defence of MLS isn’t just sentimental. It comes from a player who has lived three different footballing worlds and is clear about how they stack up.

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

Scotland on top. MLS right behind. South Africa’s Betway Premiership in third. It’s a ranking that underlines why he bristled at the idea that his time in the United States somehow counted against him on the international stage.

Now the Mosimane chapter begins, and for Makhanya, the message is unmistakable: new coach, new judgement, no more overlooking.