Mouloudia Algiers suffered a 1-0 upset defeat at the hands of Olympique Akbou on Tuesday, but it was referee Mustapha Ghorbal’s officiating decisions that dominated post-match conversations rather than the scoreline.
The fixture, held in Béjaïa, saw MCA slip in their chase for the Ligue 1 title, but a series of contentious moments left players and fans questioning the referee’s calls throughout the second half.
The first 45 minutes were uneventful, save for a brief handball shout when MCA left-back Khelif accidentally handled the ball in the box—an incident Ghorbal rightfully waved off.
The tempo changed after the interval, with MCA pressing for a breakthrough.
Bangoura had a golden opportunity early on, going one-on-one with the Akbou goalkeeper in the 52nd minute, but the keeper reacted with a save more akin to a handball block than a football clearance.
MCA continued to apply pressure and came close again in the 66th minute when Ouassa miraculously cleared a goal-bound effort off the line using a backheel.
But the momentum shifted dramatically in the 73rd minute when Ghorbal awarded a penalty to Akbou following a duel between MCA defender Abdellaoui and Akbou’s Gherbi.
The decision—deemed soft by many—came after Abdellaoui was judged to have placed his hand on Gherbi’s shoulder.
Without VAR to review the action, the penalty stood.
Askar calmly converted from the spot to give Akbou the lead.
Abdellaoui, visibly frustrated and known for his fiery temperament, was later sent off in the 82nd minute after another heated exchange with the officials.
Controversy didn’t stop there. In the 89th minute, Merzougui appeared to have equalised with a powerful header from a Halaimia cross. But Ghorbal ruled it out for offside.
Without clear camera angles available, the decision remained highly debatable, as Merzougui seemed level with the last defender.
MCA’s luck completely deserted them in stoppage time.
Bangoura charged into the box in the dying moments of the game and was brought down by Bouteldja, but Ghorbal waved play on.
Then, deep into added time (90+8), Boussaid found himself unmarked in front of goal, only to strike the crossbar.
The defeat leaves Mouloudia d’Alger vulnerable at the top of the league, with CR Belouizdad now in position to leapfrog them in the standings with a win on Saturday.
While the loss stings, it is the officiating that is likely to dominate discussions in the days to come, especially with Ghorbal’s selection for the upcoming Club World Cup now under scrutiny.
