A bus crash in Algeria killed two members of top flight side Mouloudia El Bayadh on Wednesday, prompting the national football federation to postpone all games in the country.

The Algerian state news agency said the accident killed El Bayadh goalkeeper Zakaria Bouziani, 27, and assistant coach Khalid Muftah.

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. 

‘In the wake of the painful tragedy that befell Algerian football … the Algerian Football Federation (Faf) decided to suspend all football activities scheduled for the end of this week across the entire country,’ the federation said in a statement.

A tragic bus crash in Algeria killed two members of top flight side El Bayadh on Wednesday

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

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune added in another statement that he received the news of the tragedy with ‘great pain and sorrow’, offering his condolences to the families of the victims.

Bouziani, a stand-in goalkeeper, made two league appearances this season.

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The 27-year-old – who was an unused substitute during last Friday’s 1-1 draw with USM Alger – had also represented fellow Algerian Ligue 1 sides JS Saoura and NC Magra in his career.  

Following the tragedy, Faf have similarly postponed the draw for the next two rounds of the Algerian Cup, which was supposed to be held on December 26. 

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

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said he received the news of the tragedy with ‘great pain and sorrow’, offering his condolences to the families of the victims

Several other members of El Bayadh’s squad suffered injuries after the horrific bus crash