Super Eagles: How Makhanya has helped improve Fernandez’s form at Rangers

Super Eagles defender Emmanuel Fernandez has revealed what helped him overcome a shaky start to the 2026/27 season at Rangers.

The 24-year-old joined the Light Blues last summer from Peterborough United and enjoyed a stunning debut campaign. Fernandez was crowned Rangers Men’s Player of the Season and also earned a spot in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year.

While his stellar performances raised the bar and attracted strong transfer interest during the summer window, he ultimately remained with the club. 

However, he struggled to replicate that initial form during the early stages of the current campaign, drawing criticism from several former players following his slow start.

Fortunately, the Super Eagles centre-back is beginning to turn things around. He has shown improvement in recent games and is gradually returning to the form that earned him plaudits last season.

Fernandez opens up on the impact of Olwethu Makhanya

Rangers signed South African defender Olwethu Makhanya from Philadelphia Union in the summer, and the young defender has made rapid progress at Ibrox this season.

Makhanya was named the Scottish Premiership Player of the Month for September and has seamlessly formed a strong partnership with Fernandez at the heart of the Rangers defense.

Speaking in a recent interview, Fernandez explained how partnering with Makhanya has helped him regain his confidence and elevate his game after a shaky start to the season.

“Obviously, [my form was] a bit shaky at the beginning, but I feel like I’m getting back into my groove”, the Super Eagles star said, via SkySports.

“I still think there’s more to come—similar performances to last season—but they’ll all come in due time.

“I think he [Makhanya] is amazing. I know when I came in and played last season how hard it was to settle. I feel like that’s why having certain teammates around you can help you settle quicker, get into games easier, and perform the way you want to perform without thinking about the noise.”

Super Eagles defender looks ahead 

Fernandez also reflected on the team’s overall progress and the busy schedule ahead, emphasizing that Rangers are heading in the right direction.

Rangers are hoping to win a first Scottish league title since the 2020-21 season and are aiming to end their drought in the current campaign.

“It’s been a bit of a turbulent journey [for the team this season]. At the beginning of the season, we didn’t start off at our best, but I feel like we’ve got into our groove a bit and are getting the results that we need”, the Super Eagles centre-back added.

“But I still think the team knows that we can give more. There are games where we know we can score more goals and limit opposition chances.

“Obviously, we’ve just come back from the international break. We’ve got five games before the next one, and we’ve got performances to put in.”

Rangers return to action on Saturday when they visit Dundee, where a victory could take them to the top of the league standings ahead of the weekend’s remaining fixtures. 

Fernandez will be aiming to keep his strong momentum going and put in another solid performance alongside Makhanya in central defense.