lJohannesburg - Orlando Pirates legends Pollen Ndlanya and Marks Maponyane have offered their support to Teko Modise and urged Ruud Krol to keep faith with the midfielder.

The General was booed off the field following the 1-1 Soweto derby draw in the MTN8 first-leg, semi-final at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Despite having a good game - especially in the first half against Kaizer Chiefs, two wayward crosses and a sorry excuse for a shot saw the Ghost turn on their once-beloved talisman.

The heckling from the crowd with about ten minutes to go in that showdown is understood to have negatively affected the Bafana Bafana star, but Ndlanya revealed he once suffered the same treatment.

"I've been in that situation," the former striker told The Star.

"I remember in my first match for Pirates against Chiefs, every time I touched the ball there were boos. It was frustrating because I didn't know whether it was the Chiefs or Pirates fans doing it.

"I didn't take long to score and suddenly there were cheers. It never happened again. But for that little period that it did, it affected me badly."

Ndlanya wants Krol to continue supporting Modise by affording him enough game time to get his form back.

"He needs to be in the starting line-up for the next match (against BIDVest Wits this weekend) in spite of what happened against Chiefs," added the legend.

"When you put him on the bench, it might work against him. The fans might boo him when he gets up for a warm-up, killing his confidence completely. The coach has to sit him down and remind him he's still a good player."

Meanwhile, Maponyane believes in order to regain the confidence that once saw him dominate games, Modise needs to simplify his game.

"He has to go back to the basics. Things like showboating, which he did after coming on as a substitute in the Bafana match against Niger, cannot be helpful," he said.

"There was a time when I couldn't score a goal, but the coach pushed me back into midfield and told me to leave scoring to others. It worked and I got my confidence back. Teko has to concentrate on helping to set up his teammates and not be the main man.

"He should stop trying to be too fancy."

Maponyane also believes that benching Teko would not be a wise choice by Krol. "There's no way the coach can rest him when he's in this state - that will shatter him," he concluded.