Kaizer Chiefs boss Da Cruz explains Mmodi role and tactical flexibility

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz says Pule Mmodi has earned his place in the team after adapting to the unfamiliar role of left wing-back.

Mmodi is traditionally used as a winger, but he has been deployed further back as Chiefs have increasingly used a 3-4-3 formation this season. The change has seen him start each of the club’s past three matches.

His opportunity has come partly because of injuries affecting the left-back position. Chiefs began the season without Bradley Cross, Paseka Mako and Nkanyiso Shinga, leaving Da Cruz with fewer established options in that area of the pitch.

The French coach believes Mmodi has responded positively to the challenge and has justified his selection with his performances.

“He’s been in the starting XI for the last three consecutive games, it’s a good choice when we play a back-five, he took his chances in the last three games and he played well,” Da Cruz said.

Da Cruz was also asked whether the use of three centre-backs represented a permanent change in his preferred approach. The coach initially favoured a conventional back four, but he insisted Chiefs are not committed to one formation for the rest of the campaign.

Instead, Da Cruz said the team are developing the ability to switch between systems according to the circumstances of each match. Injuries, the opposition and the type of players available will all influence his tactical decisions.

“No… for the moment I am happy we’re able to play in two systems, but at the moment, we’re playing this system due to injured players,” he explained.

“Sometimes [my decision] will depend on the opposition, different choices of profile of players, sometimes it will be a back three, sometimes a back four, it’s just an option. I’m happy the team can play in two systems.”

The comments underline that Mmodi’s current role is linked to both his own form and the defensive absences within the squad. While he has operated as a left wing-back in the recent matches, Da Cruz’s remarks suggest that his position may change when the team’s available personnel changes.

The coach also rejected the idea that Chiefs’ current set-up should be viewed simply as a permanent move to a five-man defence. He described the team as a work in progress and said its structure would continue to depend on different situations.

“We work to have to hybrid team, so it will sometimes depend on different situations, but we will not play with five defenders all season,” Da Cruz concluded.