Bafana Bafana defender Olwethu Makhanya has reacted to featuring in his maiden Old Firm Derby when Rangers FC beat Celtic FC 3-0 in a League Cup quarter-final tie at Ibrox on Sunday.
Known as one of the fiercest derbies in the world, the clash between Rangers and Celtic is also one of the oldest football fixtures on the globe. Makhanya played the entire 90 minutes, helping his team keep a clean sheet and reach the League Cup semi-finals.
It is a dream start to life in Scotland for Makhanya, who joined Rangers from Major League Soccer side Philadelphia Union at the end of July. He has appeared in Rangers’ last 10 games across different competitions, playing every single minute.
But the Old Firm Derby appears to be a standout match in which the former Stellenbosch FC centre-back has been involved for Rangers. “Old Firm Dub!! What a team, what a fu***ng experience,” Makhanya wrote on Instagram after the traditional fixture.
RANGERS LEGEND SOUNDS WARNING TO MAKHANYA
The Old Firm Derby returns next Sunday, but this time around in the Scottish Premiership and the battleground shifts to Celtic Park in the Parkhead area of Glasgow. Former Rangers defender Richard Gough has warned Makhanya about the hostile environment the centre-back should expect next weekend.
“Well done, young man. Outstanding performance. Just remember next Sunday will be a different experience with no Rangers supporters there and 67,000 of their supporters,” Gough responded to Makhanya’s derby reaction.
“Parkhead is where you find out if you can be a true Rangers player or not. Difficult place to keep your cool.
“So, my friend, I wish you and the team all the very best next Sunday, as it will be a very different test for you and the players who haven’t played at Celtic Park,” concluded Gough, who spent part of his childhood in Johannesburg and also played for Wits University before a career that took him to Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.
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