South African international to join Scottish Premiership side
Philadelphia Union today announced they have reached a transfer agreement with Rangers F.C., a club in the first tier of Scottish football, for defender Olwethu Makhanya.
“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.”
The Union's first-ever U22 Initiative signing, Makhanya made 42 MLS regular-season appearances (36 starts) and scored one goal during his time with the club. After joining Philadelphia from Stellenbosch FC in July 2023, the South African center back developed with Union II before establishing himself as a first-team regular during the 2025 season. He made his MLS debut against Orlando City SC on February 22, 2025, and helped anchor a defense that led the Union to the club's second Supporters' Shield.
On the international stage, Makhanya represented South Africa at the U-23 level before earning his first senior national team call-up in May 2026 when he was selected to the Bafana Bafana squad for FIFA World Cup 2026™.
