Olwethu Makhanya was in the mood for a joke after Rangers picked up a 1-0 victory against Aberdeen at Hampden on Saturday.

Rangers qualified for the Premier Sports Cup final with that result, courtesy of a Ryan Naderi winner late on.

It was not the prettiest of performances, but it got the job done, and that is what matters at the end of the day.

Olwethu Makhanya shares image of Ryan Naderi holding the Ballon d’Or trophy

Makhanya took to Instagram to share an image of Naderi on his story, with the striker holding the Ballon d’Or. The January 2026 arrival has already become a fan favourite at Ibrox, and that AI-generated image was doing the rounds on social media in the days leading up to the actual ceremony.

What this post also reflects is the togetherness in that Rangers dressing room and the players’ willingness to run through brick walls for each other. For a lot of the game on Saturday, things weren’t clicking, but the Gers players kept giving it their best and something finally stuck.

Makhanya was our Man of the Match, but the likes of Naderi and Badredine Bouanani also put in solid shifts on the day.

How Naderi managed to turn things around at Rangers

Naderi has done an exceptional job of silencing his critics at Rangers. Initially, when he was signed, there were plenty of expectations, as he was signed for a decent amount of money. However, he lacked the clinicality in his initial days at Ibrox, and many believed that he was industrious rather than being clinical.

Having dealt with the initial criticism, he’s taken the time to adapt to life in Scotland. He’s worked with the coaching staff and has put in the extra hours and hard yards in training. Derek McInnes has shown faith in him, and he’s worked immensely hard behind the scenes to show that he deserves to be a regular starter for Rangers.

When Lawrence Shankland and Kevin Kelsy were signed in the summer, nobody thought that Naderi would be starting regularly. However, that has changed, and he has become the first name among the first names on the team sheet for McInnes. A lot of that has to do with Shankland’s injury, but it cannot be taken away from the Czechia international.

It’s worth noting how hard he works off the ball, and how effective he is with the ball. He finds himself in the right place at the right time, and he is an ideal centre forward.

Along with Makhanya, Naderi is probably Rangers’ player of the season so far.