Fernando da Cruz justifies Reeve Frosler midfield role

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz has set the record straight on the decision to start Reeve Frosler as a midfielder in the Betway Premiership draw with Stellenbosch FC on Tuesday.

The French tactician raised eyebrows with his team selection against the Cape Winelands outfit, fielding six defenders in the starting XI, much to the discontent of the Amakhosi faithful.

He was subsequently the subject of scrutiny after the stalemate, and missed the post-match press conference due to an illness according to assistant coach Dillon Sheppard, who addressed the media.

Da Cruz, however, has since explained the rationale behind shifting Frosler to the midfield, attributing the tactical tweak to injuries that have left his squad thin and the right-back's versatility.

“We have already tried Reeve in pre-season against Al-Kholood, the best quality of Reeve is that he's able to play in different positions, so it's very interesting for him,” said the Chiefs boss.

"I put Reeve because he's a good header as well, we wanted him to make good headers against Stellenbosch. We have two injured players and one player that has an illness in this position.

"So, we don't have a lot of choices, the other choices were young players so I preferred to start that game with Reeve in that position.

Having been drawn against TS Galaxy in the Carling Knockout Cup set to commence later this month, the former LOSC Lille B coach is braced for the fixture congestion.

“We have a lot of games this month, it will not be very easy because we have the Carling Cup, we also have the Soweto derby at the end of the month,” da Cruz added.

"So, we start this competition now but it can allow the team to be in a new dynamic.

Chiefs swing back to action with the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round tie against Red Arrows in Zambia on Saturday afternoon.

Hlayisani Magoro

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Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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