SIDI ALI, Algeria (Interstat) — ES Mostaganem and MC El Bayadh played to a 2-2 draw Friday afternoon at Stade Ben Hamiti El Arbi in a Ligue 1 match that featured a frantic opening and a late equalizer.

Abdelkrim Namani put the hosts ahead in the seventh minute, slotting home from midfield. But MC El Bayadh answered immediately, with substitute Abdelkader Akram Chelali leveling the score just one minute later in the eighth minute. The visitors grabbed the lead just before halftime when forward Abdelillah Benzina scored in the 45th minute, sending MC El Bayadh into the break ahead 2-1.

ES Mostaganem pushed for an equalizer in the second half and finally broke through in the 74th minute when Ilyes Yaiche found the net to make it 2-2. Neither side could find a winner in the remaining time, and the match ended in a stalemate.

The result left both teams mired near the bottom of the Ligue 1 table. MC El Bayadh’s season record in league play moved to two wins, 15 losses and eight draws after the draw, while its overall mark across all competitions remained identical at 2-15-8. ES Mostaganem’s Ligue 1 record became three wins, 15 losses and seven draws, but its overall record slipped to 3-16-7 after an earlier defeat in another competition.

MC El Bayadh entered the match having struggled for consistency. The visitors had lost three of their previous five Ligue 1 matches, with their only win in that span coming Feb. 4 against MB Rouisset. They had managed just one goal in their prior four games, a streak that included a scoreless draw with Saoura on May 20, a 2-1 loss at USM Khenchela on May 8, a 1-0 loss to Paradou AC on April 17 and a 1-1 draw with Kabylie on April 5.

ES Mostaganem had also endured a difficult stretch. The hosts had lost four of their last five league matches, with their only respite being a 1-1 draw with USM Alger on May 12. That run included a 2-0 loss to Guir Abadla on May 10, a 4-0 defeat at Saoura on May 7, a 3-0 loss to USM Khenchela on April 10 and a 7-0 thrashing at CR Belouizdad on April 5.

Friday’s match was the second meeting between the teams this season. MC El Bayadh won the earlier encounter on Jan. 8, a 1-0 victory in Sidi Ali.

The draw continued a trend of low-scoring affairs for both sides. MC El Bayadh had scored just 10 goals in their previous 25 league matches, while ES Mostaganem had found the net only 12 times in the same span.

Namani’s early goal was his first of the season in league play, a bright spot for a midfielder who had struggled to contribute offensively. Chelali’s equalizer marked his second goal of the campaign, while Benzina’s strike was his third.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of 1-1, and its ELO system gave ES Mostaganem a 72.90 percent probability to win.