According to multiple media sources from Algeria, the team bus of Algerian Ligue 1 side Mouloudia El Bayadh was involved in a serious accident, prompting the national football federation to postpone all games scheduled for this week across all divisions.
The bus carrying the team overturned in the town of Sougueur in northwestern 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 injured members were in stable condition.
Sources claim that the bus driver, assistant coach Khaled Moftah, and goalkeeper Zakaria Bouziani, 27, have all passed away. Bouziani, a stand-in goalkeeper, made two league appearances this season. The Algerian football federation said in a statement,
“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,” the federation said in a statement.
“The Federation also decided to postpone the draw ceremony for the 32nd and 16th rounds of the Algerian Cup to a later date.”
El Bayadh is 12 points behind the leading team, MC Alger, in the Algerian league standings after 10 games, having scored 15 points.