Algeria suspends all matches after footballer and coach killed in crash

The National Football Federation in Algeria has suspended all matches following a bus crash in which two members of Algerian League 1 side Mouloudia El Bayadh were killed yesterday, Reuters has reported.

Goalkeeper Zakaria Bouziani, 27, and assistant coach Khalid Muftah were named by state media as the fatalities in the accident.

The bus carrying the whole team overturned in the town of Sougueur in north-west Algeria while en route to Tizi Ouzou to face JSK Kabylie in a league game on Friday, according to local media. The club said on Facebook that other players and officials injured in the crash are in a stable condition.

“In the wake of the painful tragedy that has befallen Algerian football… we have decided to suspend all football activities scheduled for the end of this week across the entire country,” said the federation. “The ceremony for the draw of the rounds of 32 and 16 of the Algerian Cup has also been postponed until a later date.”

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said that he received the news of the tragedy with “great pain and sorrow.” He offered his condolences to the families of the victims.

El Bayadh lie sixth in the Algerian League 1 table with 15 points from 10 games, 12 adrift of runaway leaders MC Alger.

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