Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has lamented his side’s missed opportunities during their MTN8 semi-final first-leg clash with SuperSport United on Sunday.

The Brazilians secured a crucial away goal courtesy of Gaston Sirino, who cancelled out Thamsanqa Gabuza’s 41st-minute opener during their 1-1 draw with Tshwane rivals SuperSport.

Sundowns will now welcome United to the Lucas Moripe Stadium for the return leg on 18 September, as they battle for a place in the final of the top-eight competition.

Mosimane feels his side were restricted from playing their own game, but was pleased with their ability to deal with the aerial threats from the towering SuperSport forwards.

‘They are an awkward team – they’ve got gladiators, all the ball is up in the air, which is their strength. We dealt with that,’ Mosimane told SuperSport TV after the match.

‘Their strength is on set pieces, they don’t like interplay, they take it to the sides and put the ball to the box, nearly like [Bidvest] Wits. They are right to do that, if you have [Thamsanqa] Gabuza, [Bradley] Grobler and [Evans] Rusike … look at the height. They play to their strength, which is OK.

‘Why not? If I had the same [kind] of players I think maybe I [was going] to play like that. But I’ve got “Pitso” [Sphelele Mkhilise], Gaston [Sirino], Themba Zwane, Lebo [Maboe]; I think you know the height. I don’t have those [tall] players, so I must play to our strength also.

‘We didn’t have time to play because it was all up, credit to them. Scary, I think they could’ve have scored [towards] the end. But we also missed, let’s be honest. I mean the ball [Sibusiso] Vilakazi missed in the first minute, is unbelievable. We score two goals, it’s almost finished.

‘But we played well in patches, we played a good game of an away game. We couldn’t play the way we wanted to play, but football is not about getting everything all the time. Sometimes you need to be happy and grateful for what you have now.’

Mamelodi Sundowns against SuperSport United kicks off at 7:30pm.