Orlando Pirates midfield star Teko Modise disclosed that his and the team's revival is due to the hard work done by Dutch coach Ruud Krol.

And the players are hoping to reward Krol and their fans by beating Bloemfontein Celtic in the semi-final of the Telkom Knockout at Durban's Chatsworth Stadium on Saturday.

Modise is in the best form of his career and he attributes that to Krol.

"The coach has been tremendous to the players this season. The reason I am hitting form is because of the confidence the coach has shown in me. That also goes for the other players. It shows in our performances," said Modise.

Modise was in superb form in the 2-0 win over arch rivals Kaizer Chiefs, then he scored twice to inspire Bafana Bafana to a stunning 3-2 win over Cameroon, rated 14th in the world, in the Nelson Mandela Challenge in Rustenburg last Wednesday.

But his best performance for Bucs came at the re-opening of Orlando Stadium last Saturday night where 30 000 fans watched in awe as Modise scored twice to tear Thanda Royal Zulu apart in a 4-2 victory.

Krol, a former Dutch captain and a tough-as-nails defender, has instilled a sense of belief and will to win in the Buccaneers. But, even more importantly, Krol has added much needed discipline to Pirates. Pirates are now playing as a team and for each other.

"And," said the magical midfield magician, "we also want to beat Celtic for our loyal fans. The support we have been getting this season has been fantastic and has helped lift me and the other players. We want to win for the fans."

But Modise said it would be a huge mistake if Pirates took struggling Celtic for granted. He said: "We are aware that we go into the semi-final as favourites. But we would be wrong if we thought all we had to do was arrive and play. Celtic are a tough side. They have everything to play for, as we have, and we must not underestimate them."


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