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Cape Town - Mamelodi Sundowns saw a four-match winning streak come to an end on Tuesday after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Chippa United at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium.
Both sets of players struggled to get to grips with a heavy pitch following days of rain in the Eastern Cape, which made for tricky passing.
Sundowns did threaten early on, though, when Yannick Zakri got away down the left flank after three minutes and attempted to pick out Leonardo Castro with the outside of his foot, but Daniel Akpeyi was there to intercept the pass.
However, chances were at a premium and it took a mistake to alter the scoreline after Manzini failed to clear a free-kick from the left, and an unmarked Arendse was allowed to bring the ball down before picking out the bottom-left corner the net in the 19th minute.
The hosts looked to respond from a free-kick on the right three minutes later, which was sent in by Diamond Thopola, but Castro just managed to get a boot in to clear the danger.
Manzini wasted another good opportunity on 24 minutes from a free-kick on the right as he went for goal, but failed to hit the target with a scuffed drive that went well wide of the left post.
Downs went close to extending their lead 10 minutes before half-time with a free-kick from Teko Modise on the left, but neither Soumahoro Bangaly nor Arendse could make contact at the back post.
However, Chippa hit back moments later when Arendse was adjudged to have brought down Sali inside the area to concede a penalty, although replays suggested the defender had played the ball.
Manzini smashed the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards out to restore parity, and the two teams went into the break at level pegging.
Modise should have put the visitors back in front four minutes into the second half after connecting with Fares Hachi's cross from the left byline, but the veteran midfielder volleyed over from just outside the six-yard box, while Zakri could only find the side-netting from a tight angle on the right after latching onto a ball over the top on the hour mark.
Manzini nearly gave Chippa the lead two minutes later as he got on the end of Thopola's cross from the right, but Anele Ngcongca made a vital block with his head to thwart the danger.
Akpeyi had to be alert on 67 minutes as he raced out to intercept a through-ball from Castro that was intended for Themba Zwane, while Zakri powered a header just over the crossbar from Hachi's inviting cross from the left soon afterwards.
The Chilli Boys keeper was relieved to see Castro hit a tame shot straight at him in the 78th minute after Zwane had set up his team-mate inside the area on the right.
Linda Shiba almost made an instant impact from the bench six minutes from time as he ballooned an effort over at the near post from six yards out after being picked out by Sali's low cross on the right.
Sundowns survived a late scare when Shiba was sent free on the left in the 89th minute, but his shot from a narrow angle on the left was expertly kept out by Wayne Sandilands, while the visiting defence had to make a couple of last-ditch blocks to deny Chippa in stoppage time.
