Mamelodi Sundowns paid the price for a lethargic game without the requisite spark‚ said coach Pitso Mosimane after the champions dropped points for a second successive league game when held 1-1 by Cape Town City at Atteridgeville on Tuesday night.

“It was an evenly balanced match without a lot of real free flow but we were a little but lethargic‚” he said after the game.

“We didn’t have the real spark to bring the game up.

“We didn’t look that fresh. But it’s to be expected playing back-to-back.”

It was a fifth game in 17 days for Sundowns and the evident fatigue will be of concern for the weekend as they have to fight back against AS Otoho d’Oyo of the Congo to get through to the next round of the African Champions League.

“I don’t think it’s two points dropped like the game against Chippa United‚” Mosimane added.

Chippa equalised in the last minute in Port Elizabeth last week for a 1-1 draw.

“This one point is better because I think Cape Town City put up a good shift.

“For me‚ it’s the first time I see them work hard like this. Normally they don’t work hard like this.

“They changed their formation the way they played‚ overloading the midfield with (Abubakar) Mobara‚ (Mpho) Makola and (Thato) Mokeke.

"They are defensive midfielders who really made sure we didn’t get our way and it was a good tactic. It really helped them.

“We should have scored in the (third) minute through Lyle (Lakay)‚ who opted to pass the ball into the net when he should have smacked it. He was in the six yards where you must just hit it.”

Again‚ they were caught at a set-piece which Mosimane admitted was now becoming a problem for the team.

“We lost concentration here and we left the most important player there alone‚ (Edmilson) Dove‚ on set-piece.

“I’m not unhappy with the point if I look at the game and the way it went. I have to be realistic and they played well and give them credit‚” the Sundowns coach added.