BEJAÏA, Algeria (Interstat) — Rezki Hamroune’s 81st-minute header propelled Oued Akbou to a 1-0 victory over ES Sétif in a contentious and chaotic Ligue 1 match on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Stade de l’Unité Maghrébine.

The match, which featured 11 yellow cards and a late red card, defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 1-1 draw. The same analytics system gave Oued Akbou a 74.60 percent probability to win, a forecast the home side ultimately fulfilled in a disjointed and ill-tempered affair.

The decisive moment arrived late as Hamroune, a midfielder, rose to meet a cross and nod the ball home, breaking a deadlock that had persisted despite numerous interruptions. The assist was credited to substitute Mick Kila Omfia, one of 10 different Oued Akbou players recorded with an assist on the solitary goal in an unusual statistical outcome.

The game’s physical tone was set early. ES Sétif substitute Ibrahim Bekakchi received the first booking in the 23rd minute, beginning a cascade of cautions that would see players from both sides consistently penalized. The first half concluded with Oued Akbou’s Oussama Daibeche also seeing yellow in the 47th minute.

The second half devolved further into a stop-start contest, with seven more yellow cards issued between the 56th and 79th minutes. Players across all positions were cautioned, including Oued Akbou defender Billal Boukarroum, midfielder Dhirar Bensaadallah, and forwards M’hend Sediri and Youcef Douar, along with ES Sétif’s Mick Kila Omfia.

Hamroune’s goal finally provided a clear separation on the scoreboard, but it did not calm the proceedings. In a frenetic close to the match, four more yellow cards were shown in stoppage time alone, including one to Oued Akbou goalkeeper Rayane Yesli and another to goalscorer Hamroune. The most significant incident occurred in the 90+3 minute when ES Sétif defender Mohamed Benchrifa, already booked moments earlier, received a second yellow card and was sent off.

The victory gives Oued Akbou a winning start to their Algerian Ligue 1 campaign, moving their season record in the competition to one win and no losses. Their overall record across all competitions also stands at one win and no losses. For ES Sétif, the defeat marks an opening day setback, leaving them with a record of no wins and one loss in both Ligue 1 and across all competitions for the season.