Super Eagles defender Emmanuel Fernandez during an interview with Footy-Africa praised the immediate contribution of summer signing Olwethu Makhanya, admitting the South Africa international exceeded all initial expectations following his arrival at Glasgow Rangers.
Makhanya, 22, completed a move to the Scottish Premiership side from MLS club Philadelphia Union, adding further depth to Rangers’ backline.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa, Nigeria international Fernandez revealed how impressed he has been with the young defender’s seamless adaptation to Scottish football.
“He’s a very good player, South African boy,” Fernandez told Footy-Africa. “To be fair, I was surprised from when he came in. I didn’t expect him to be as good as he is, but he’s a top player.”
“There’s even still more to come from him, there’s still more understanding to come from him, because the game’s a bit different in Scotland, but he’s very good.”
‘Togetherness’ driving Rangers’ title challenge
The defensive partnership comes as Rangers look to sustain a strong domestic and European campaign.
With competition fierce at the top of the Scottish Premiership, Fernandez insists the squad’s internal harmony will be crucial in their push to reclaim silverware.
“I feel like this year the mood is very uplifting, I feel like there’s a lot of togetherness within the team,” Fernandez explained.
“Obviously our goal is to win the league title, but we take it game by game. We just focus on winning every game that’s ahead of us, and we’ll see where that gets us towards the end of the season.”
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Meeting high demands at Ibrox
Fernandez, who made his senior debut for Nigeria’s Super Eagles earlier this year, also pointed out the necessity for individual and squad consistency to meet the expectations of the Ibrox support.
“Consistency is something we need to do, and that’s something I probably need to do within my game as well—be focused, concentrated every game,” he said.
“As a footballer, sometimes you might not have the best of games all the time. But as long as you keep your mistakes minimal and you work as hard as possible, I think that’s the best thing you can do for the fans and the club. There’s a lot of demand at the club, and I feel like with this demand is where players show how good they are.”
