Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has clarified the tactical decision behind Reeve Frosler’s positional change, insisting the defender’s versatility in midfield remains a key asset for Amakhosi.
The French coach addressed Frosler’s positional switch at the 2026 Carling Knockout Cup draw in Fourways on Wednesday. Chiefs have been pitted against TS Galaxy in the Last 16 of the Carling Cup, with the date and kick-off time for the encounter yet to be officially confirmed.
Da Cruz spoke to the media after learning Chiefs’ Carling Knockout opponents, having missed the post-match interviews against Stellenbosch FC due to sudden illness, which left him vomiting after the game.
The Soweto giants played out to a 1-1 Betway Premiership draw against Stellies at FNB Stadium on Tuesday night, with assistant coach Dillon Sheppard stepping in for media duties while Da Cruz received medical attention.
In that encounter, Da Cruz fielded an intriguing starting line-up, notably deploying Reeve Frosler as a holding midfielder in the absence of Lebohang Maboe, Siphesihle Ndlovu, and Adolf Mtasingwa.
WHAT DA CRUZ SAID ABOUT FROSLER PLAYING IN MIDFIELD
Although the former South African junior international is a natural right-back, his coach has recently converted him into a midfielder, which has drawn widespread debate amongst fans on Frosler’s ability to play in the engine room.
“We already tried Reeve in midfield during the pre-season,” Da Cruz said. “The best quality of Reeve is that he can play in different positions.
“So it’s very interesting for him. We put Reeve in the middle because he’s a good header. We wanted him to help us with headers against Stellenbosch.
“We have two injured players and one player is suffering from illness. So we don’t have a lot of choices. The other choices were young players; that’s why we started Reeve in this position.”
The Naturena-based side will be looking to return to winning ways when they face Red Arrows in the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round on Saturday in Zambia.
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