Two Players in Algeria’s League Punished for Lateness

Fans of Algerian Premier League club JSK Kabylie recently woke up to news of reported indiscipline rocking their club amid claims of two of the team’s star players arrived late at training.

Benaldjia Mehdi and Salim Boukhenchouche arrived five minutes after drills had started and were not allowed to join the rest of their teammates in the group sessions.

The pair were asked to train alone but not after they had received a dressing down from furious French-born coach Frank Dumas.

The incident occurred only days after club chairman Cherif Mellal demanded attitudinal change, warning of severe sanctions lying in wait for rowdiness from any member of the group.

In an effort to set an example, the two players, Salim, a defensive midfielder and Mehdi, a 27-year-old left-winger, were forced to take sessions on the pitch peripheries alone on Friday night supported by physical trainers.

The duo was however permitted to join the group during Saturday’s sessions ahead of their Tuesday match against USM Bel Abdes but the normal workout was delayed for some minutes as Dumas emphasized to the stars the need for punctuality, an insider tells Ducor Sports.

Mehdi, a married man, was said to have used family issues as the reason for his lateness but his post hours later stated otherwise.

“A lot of things (have been said) following my absence from this morning I just want to clarify some things: this morning I contracted strong flu. The JSK (the club) is more than a club, I would never joke with the team’s jersey. The fans of JSK and this great club deserve all respect for the world. We’re preparing for the game and we’re going to make it up to this Tuesday,” he wrote in a post.

Valued in excess of £405,000,  Mehdi switched to Kabylie in the summer of 2016 from fellow top-tier outfit JS Soura.