Mouloudia Algeria have voiced fierce criticism over what they described as poor refereeing in their narrow 1-0 defeat to Olympique Aqbou on Tuesday.
The clash, part of a rescheduled Week 21 fixture, ended in frustration for the Ligue 1 leaders, who blamed the officiating for the result.
In a strongly worded statement, Mouloudia took aim at international referee Mustapha Gharbal, accusing him and his team of making “catastrophic mistakes” that altered the flow and outcome of the match.
“The international referee surprised everyone with his hesitation in many decisions that made him out of frame throughout the game, and he appeared at a level that does not reflect his experience, reputation, or even his choice to manage matches in a competition of the size of the Club World Cup,” the club said.
The club pledged to file a detailed report with the arbitration committee and called for accountability. Mouloudia also questioned the absence of VAR in their away fixtures and urged the Algerian Football Federation to address recurring officiating issues.
Despite the setback, they sit top with 41 points.
