Two members of Algerian Ligue 1 side Mouloudia El Bayadh died in the late hours of Wednesday, prompting the national football federation to suspend all games scheduled for this week.
Local media reports that the bus carrying the team overturned in the town of Sougueur in northwestern Algeria while heading to Tizi Ouzou to face JSK Kabylie in a league game on Friday.
The accident killed El Bayadh goalkeeper Zakaria Bouziani, 27, and assistant coach Khalid Muftah. Bouziani, a stand-in goalkeeper has had two league appearances this season. The club posted online, that other members who got bruises have been stabilised.
“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.”
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said he received the news of the accident with “great pain and sorrow,” offering his condolences to the families of the deceased.
With 15 points from 10 games, 12 adrift of runaway leaders MC Alger, El Bayadh places sixth in the Algerian league table.