With news of South African center back Olwethu Makhanya’s transfer to Rangers FC looming on the horizon for a while now, the club officially announced the defender’s move to the Scottish Premiership on Friday.
“We greatly appreciate Olwethu’s contributions in his three years with the Union,” said Union Sporting Director Jon Scheer. “He has grown tremendously since joining the club and proved himself to be impactful on our backline. We believe this is a great opportunity for Olwethu as he continues to develop, and we wish him all the best in this next chapter.”
Makhanya arrived in Philadelphia in July 2023 from Stellenbosch FC in South Africa and became the Union’s first U22 Initiative signing.
While he did not receive any playing time with the first team during his first season, he did appear in five matches with Union II, playing 450 minutes while recording three shots, two of which were on target.
“I worked with him when he first joined the club as an assistant coach and he’s a great person and I wish him nothing but the best in his career going forward,” Ryan Richter said in his press conference on Friday.
The 2024 season saw Makhanya play exclusively with Union II, raising concerns among some about whether he would ever earn playing time with the first team.
However, during that season with Union II, Makhanya and Neil Pierre formed a solid center back pairing for head coach Marlon LeBlanc’s side, appearing in 22 regular-season matches, totaling 1,935 minutes while scoring one goal. He scored one goal in the playoffs that season helping Union II capture its first MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference championship and reach the MLS NEXT Pro Cup Final.
While Makhanya picked up a red card in the final and the squad ultimately blew a two-goal lead to fall 3-2 in the final, his potential was certainly on display throughout the course of the season.
Then, in 2025, under head coach Bradley Carnell, who commented on Makhanya’s fitness and development on several occasions during the preseason, he earned his first start on opening night and made his MLS debut against Orlando City SC on February 22, 2025.
Makhanya went on to establish himself as a regular with the first team, enjoying a breakout season alongside MLS Defender of the Year Jakob Glesnes and helping Philadelphia capture its second-ever Supporters’ Shield in 2025.
In 2026, Makhanya earned his first senior national team call-up in May when he was selected to the Bafana Bafana squad for the FIFA World Cup. However, while he was available for selection, he never featured in the tournament.
On Thursday, Rangers FC manager Derek McInnes stated during his press conference ahead of the club’s opening-day match against Dundee United, “Yeah, that’s one that is close. I say we’re pretty close to maybe announcing that, so it’s probably safe to say that that one looks pretty good for us,” in reference to the transfer of Makhanya.
Then, on Friday morning, the news became official with his sale to Rangers FC.
While no official transfer fee was released by the club, Jonathan Tannenwald of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the fee was around $4.5 million.
“For someone so young, he’s already gained experience in different environments. He is a strong, physical and confident defender, and I look forward to seeing him settle into the squad and show what he is capable of as a Rangers player,” McInnes would expand upon per Rangers club statement.
“For me, it has always been a dream to play football in Europe, ever since I was a kid, so to be here is a dream come true,” Makhanya stated in the same release.
During his time in Philadelphia, he appeared in 84 matches across all competitions, scoring five goals for both the first and second teams.
Moving forward, Philadelphia has options. With Neil Pierre recording a goal and an assist in two matches since returning from loan, along with Japhet Sery Larsen, Geiner Martínez, and Nathan Harriel—who can play across the back line—the club has several paths it can take. Whether it looks to make another transfer or turns to someone like Finn Sundstrom or Rafael Uzcátegui from Union II remains to be seen.
However, during Friday’s press conference, Richter mentioned that while Harriel, who has played the last two matches at center back, is a right back in both his opinion and probably the player’s as well, Richter wants to put the team in the best possible position to win.
“If you look at just these two games, I think he did a really good job at center back,” Richter mentioned. “So, for me, and I think this is what all the guys want, and I know this is what Nathan wants. Of course, everyone wants to be on the field, but they want you to be fair and honest about picking the best team possible to give the team a chance to win. And right now, how I see it, it’s with Nathan at center back, but knowing that he can do a job in a number of different positions and do that well.”
So, while Richter and his staff certainly have some decisions to make during a busy August that includes Leagues Cup play, the coming weeks could provide some clarity moving forward for the remainder of the season. One thing is clear, however: Olewethu Makhanya’s time in Philadelphia has come to an end after three years of growth and development.
Main article photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union
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