Dan Malesela almost shrugged his shoulders as he said: “I was expecting this”‚ after Mamelodi Sundowns and Chippa United played to a 0-0 Absa Premiership draw in a what Chippa’s coach called a very awkward two-day game at Loftus Versfeld.

This was a match-up between opponents who could not beat each other three weeks ago in a 1-1 PSL draw on a muddy pitch in Mdantsane‚ East London.

Malesela said the respect that Sundowns and Chippa have for each other was compounded by the extraordinary circumstances of the game.

Sundowns and Chippa – two attack-minded teams – were cagey around each other in the first half on Tuesday night before the lights went out in the 42nd minute at Loftus due to a power failure in Hatfield.

Malesela said he never expected any great heights from the remainder of the disrupted fixture when the players resumed the field on Wednesday morning at 10am.

“Ja‚ it was very awkward. I think with two sides like these who almost play the same type of football – almost‚ not entirely – you would expect very tight games and small margins. You would expect respect from both sides.

“That filters through the players as well. In the end it might end up being a dull game.

“Now compound it with what happened yesterday with the lights‚ and having to come back in the morning – it was very awkward for the players to come back and adjust.

“I was expecting this. I was expecting something very dull and that proved right.

“I was teasing [Sundowns forward] Percy Tau. I said: ‘How did you get man-of-the-match‚ because there was no man-of-the-match here’.

“Maybe they should have given it to me or Pitso [Mosimane‚ Downs’ coach]‚ just for us to have something as well.

“But you would expect this kind of situation in this kind of game.”

Malesela said he did no take too much pride from his side going 180 minutes over three weeks against a rampant Sundowns‚ who in eight matches in 2017 have beaten every team they have met apart from Chippa‚ including TP Mazembe in the Caf Super Cup.

“But you know‚ you don’t want to be happy with that. You want to be happy with beating Sundowns‚ not drawing against Sundowns.

“Because‚ to be honest‚ we are four points down [from the two games]. And we need the points more.”

Chippa are in ninth place in the PSL having lost once in five games‚ but have drawn three of those and won just one.

Malesela said United need to start turning draws into wins‚ and hoped they would start in their next match against against Platinum Stars in Rustebnurg on Friday night. - TMG Digital