Olwethu Makhanya's Fresh Start with Mosimane at Bafana Bafana

Olwethu Makhanya didn’t hide behind clichés. The Rangers defender laid bare how bruising life under former Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos felt, and why the Pitso Mosimane era represents more than just a new name in the dugout for him.

For one of South Africa’s brightest defensive exports, the national team has been a frustrating place. While his club stock rose, his international minutes stalled. At the FIFA World Cup in June, he watched from the bench, waiting for a call that never came.

So when Broos left and Mosimane stepped in, Makhanya saw a door finally creak open.

"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 feeling of being overlooked was sharpened by one of the defining debates of Broos’ tenure: his scepticism about Major League Soccer. Makhanya spent a key stretch of his development in the United States, yet the Belgian questioned the level of competition in MLS, a stance that never sat right with the defender.

He still can’t wrap his head around 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.

For Makhanya, the American game is not some soft landing spot. It’s part of a clear hierarchy he’s built from experience, not perception. Asked to rank the leagues he has played in, he 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."

That order says plenty. It underlines the intensity he’s found at Rangers, but it also defends a league many in South Africa and Europe still dismiss with a shrug.

Now, with Mosimane in charge and his own voice growing stronger, Makhanya has his fresh start. The question is whether the new Bafana Bafana regime will see the same value in his journey that he so clearly does.