The Algerian Football Federation reported on Wednesday night that a tragic bus crash has resulted in the loss of two members of its Ligue 1 team, Mouloudia El Bayadh, prompting the postponement of all scheduled games for the week.
The victims of the accident were identified as Zakaria Bouziani, 27, the reserve goalkeeper for El Bayadh, and assistant coach Khalid Muftah. Bouziani, who had made two league appearances this season, met an untimely end in the unfortunate incident.
The Algerian Football Federation expressed deep sorrow in an official statement, quoting its president, Walid Sadia, who said, “It is with immense sadness that the president of the Algerian Football Federation . . . learned of the tragic road accident that left the club in mourning. MC El-Bayadh, playing in professional Ligue 1 Mobilis, and which led to the deaths of two members of this club.”
According to local media reports, the team’s bus overturned in the town of Sougueur in northwestern Algeria while en route to Tizi Ouzou for a league match against JSK Kabylie scheduled for Friday. The club, through its social media channels, confirmed that other injured team members were in stable condition.
“In the wake of the painful tragedy that befell Algerian football, the Algerian Football Federation decided to suspend all football activities scheduled for the end of this week across the entire country,” stated the federation in a subsequent announcement.
