Algerian Ligue 1 rocked by match-fixing scandal

MC El Bayadh played a match on behalf of the 21st day of the championship, winning against US Souf (5-4), sparking a lively controversy over the manner in which the winning team’s goal was recorded against an opponent with no real effort to claim victory .

Videos that are setting the internet on fire in Algeria give the impression that the USS defenders let the opposing players score all five goals, without making the slightest effort, local media reports.

Given that US Souf is almost relegated to the second amateur division, as it occupies the last place in the ranking; Internet users and observers of the football scene suspected match-fixing in favor of El Bayadh struggling to remain among the League 1 clubs.

The victory of El Bayadh in Oued Souf had the first consequences of improving the ranking of the South-West team, while that of the South-East is mathematically relegated to amateur league 2.

Faced with this scandal, the Disciplinary Commission of the Algerian Football League decided to investigate the match, summoning 5 players from each team and the clubs’ general secretaries.

Algerian football has recently been rocked by several scandals and dysfunctions, the latest of which erupted due to the coach of the Algeria U20 team hitting several of his players during a friendly match between the Algerian national team and its Tunisian counterpart in Algiers.