Cape Town – Olwethu Makhanya has broken his silence on feeling overlooked by Hugo Broos, and is backing Pitso Mosimane to give him a proper chance.
The Rangers defender sealed a R75 million move to Scotland from MLS side Philadelphia Union this year, a switch he had to push hard for after Union initially resisted selling him.
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Despite being a vocal critic of MLS as a league, Broos still named Makhanya in his squad for the FIFA World Cup in June, though the centre-back never made it onto the pitch during the tournament.
With Mosimane now in charge, Makhanya is hopeful of a different outcome.
“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 said to SABC Sport.
The 22-year-old believes his move to Europe only strengthens his case for regular Bafana selection, and pushed back firmly on the idea that MLS is a lesser league, questioning whether its critics have actually watched it.
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“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, before ranking the three leagues he’s played in or watched closely.
“Honestly if I were to rank them, I’ll put the Scottish Premiership first, second is the MLS, and the Betway Premiership is third.”
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