JS Kabylie’s difficult run continued on Friday as they were beaten 1-0 away by ES Sétif, a result that underlined the contrasting fortunes of the two sides during the 13th round of the Ligue 1 Mobilis season.
Playing at home, ES Sétif extended their recent upturn in form by securing a narrow but valuable victory, coming days after an emphatic 4-0 away win over US Béchar Djedid in the Algerian Cup.
The decisive moment arrived in the second half when defender Boubakeur rose to head home in the 72nd minute, a goal that proved enough to settle a tight contest.
For JS Kabylie, the defeat compounded an increasingly worrying spell.
The Canaries have now suffered three consecutive losses across all competitions, following their elimination from the Algerian Cup at the last-16 stage by USM El-Harrach.
Despite a spirited effort in Sétif, they were unable to find a response after falling behind, leaving their supporters facing further frustration.
The result lifts ES Sétif level on points with JS Kabylie, both sides now sitting 10th in the table on 15 points.
However, the balance of games in hand offers contrasting perspectives: Kabylie have two matches yet to play, while Sétif have one, a factor that could shape their positions as the season unfolds.
Elsewhere on Friday, CS Constantine maintained their strong momentum with a 2-0 home win over Paradou AC.
The contest remained finely poised until the closing stages, before Mouaki broke the deadlock in the 80th minute.
Nigerian forward Tosin then added a second deep into stoppage time, sealing the points in front of an appreciative home crowd.
The victory marked a third successive league win for CS Constantine, propelling them up to sixth place with 18 points.
In contrast, the defeat represented a significant setback for Paradou AC, who were tasting loss for the first time after a run of six straight victories in all competitions under Tunisian coach Sofiane Hidoussi.
The result leaves Paradou slipping into the relegation zone on 13 points.
At the foot of the table, MC El-Bayadh’s survival hopes suffered a serious blow after a 2-1 home defeat by USM Khenchela.
The visitors responded positively following their Algerian Cup exit against MC Alger, with Cameroonian striker Etouga scoring twice, finding the net in the 41st and 71st minutes.
El-Bayadh managed a late consolation through El-Orfi from the penalty spot in the 87th minute, but it did little to ease their predicament.
USM Khenchela’s win moves them just outside the top three with 20 points, while MC El-Bayadh remain stranded with only three points from their campaign.
The round had begun on Thursday with a notable upset as leaders MC Alger suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 1-0 away to newly promoted MB Rouissat in Ouargla.
Merzougui scored the only goal midway through the first half, ending Rouissat’s six-match winless run in emphatic fashion.
Elsewhere, USM Alger were held to a 2-2 draw at home by ES Ben Aknoun, while ASO Chlef claimed local bragging rights with a 1-0 victory over MC Oran in the western derby.
The 13th round concludes on Saturday with two fixtures: JS Saoura host ES Mostaganem in the afternoon, before CR Belouizdad face Olympique Akbou in the evening.
