Top of table clash failed to live up to hype - Miguel Cardoso

The Brazilians took the lead through striker Peter Shalulile, but the visitors hit back almost immediately as midfielder Cemran Dansin levelled with a stunning volley. 

While Sundowns extended their unbeaten home league run of over a year, Cardoso conceded the clash between the Betway Premiership title rivals lacked spark. 

"I think the match basically was what I predicted in terms of its pattern or basis – this match is paid under a lot of emotions, not always the best in the players' heads from both teams," said Cardoso.

"It's a derby, which is expected to be the best played matches in the league, but usually they are not exactly that and that's what I think we had – not the most fun.

"As I see it, it was not a very beautiful match where we saw Sundowns with some dominance, but not in the last part of the pitch either.

READ: Mamelodi Sundowns boss pleads for fixture relief

"And the team of Orlando Pirates, in a more conservative way of playing, tried to manage the game from the beginning in terms of balance, trying to close the spaces inside and having numbers then to counter-attack, basically waiting for our mistakes.

"I think we handled the game well in the first 20 minutes, and then that fantastic goal that came out of what was supposed to happen with a mistake in positioning.

"It doesn't matter who it was but there was someone who forgot to change his positioning and then we conceded that goal, which brought some energy of Orlando Pirates, it was clear it brought some disturbance on us."

Cardoso bemoaned not having more firepower on the bench to kill off the game, given striker Iqraam Rayners had just returned from a medical scare.

"For a coach in my position, and with the resources that I had available for this match, we had to be always balanced because I knew that if in any moment we would have to fight for a result, I would probably not have the weapons to reinforce the front," he added.