Hamid Berguiga slams JS Kabylie’s costly mistakes in the Algerian Cup

Former JS Kabylie and USMH striker Hamid Berguiga delivered a blunt assessment after JS Kabylie’s elimination by USMH in the Algerian Cup, warning that the club’s current situation is worrying and reflects poor sporting management.

He said he expected “a more solid, more aggressive and more determined team,” noting that while the game started evenly, USMH gradually grew in confidence and turned things around as JSK continued to regress in recent weeks.​

Berguiga praised USMH for showing more desire and hunger, stressing that “on paper JSK have better players, but on the pitch it was willpower that made the difference,” and he congratulated the Harrach side and their fans, wishing them promotion to the top flight.

In his view, JSK’s biggest mistake was letting key players Koceila Boualia and Redouane Berkane leave, arguing that “a club aiming for the Champions League cannot release that kind of player,” and recalling how, in his era, president Hannachi refused to sell key men despite foreign offers.​

He insisted that continuity and stability are essential to building a great team, citing JSK’s historic CAF Cup trebles and examples like Aboutrika at Al Ahly as proof of the value of keeping core players.

Berguiga also highlighted JSK’s overreliance on Aymen Mahious, pointing out that “when Mahious does not score, no one takes over,” which exposes a lack of depth and collective strategy. For him, JSK must urgently recover its winning mentality, review its sporting choices and rebuild a stronger, more balanced squad to compete again at national and continental level.