JS Kabylie claimed a 1-0 victory over MB Rouissat in the opening match of Ligue 1's regular season on Thursday evening. The result put the hosts on the board first, though the game's character shifted considerably after the interval. A. Belhocini's 36th-minute strike proved decisive, but the contest became defined by discipline rather than build-up play. By then the crowd had settled into a watchful rhythm, waiting for the next disruption.
Two red cards transformed the evening's dynamics. H. Salem went off at the 50th-minute mark, and just two minutes later a second dismissal left one side scrambling. To be fair, neither manager could really implement a game plan with ten men. The tactical discussion moved from pressing patterns to simply keeping shape.
Discipline remained an issue throughout the second half. B. Messaoudi picked up a yellow card in the 58th minute, followed by I. Tichtich's booking forty minutes later. Z. Benabda also received a caution at the 79th-minute mark. These weren't the moments anyone wanted to see when the season had barely begun.
Substitutions came thick and fast as both managers tried to manage the situation. R. Hamroune and O. Khiari were paired together at 67 minutes, while B. Bouamama and A. Chadli followed shortly after. A. Bada came on at the 75th minute, and further changes included A. Mahious and B. Messaoudi being replaced near the final whistle.
The table now shows both teams with a point each, though the standings remain meaningless at this stage. What mattered was avoiding the three points, and Kabylie held firm after Belhocini's goal. The clean-sheet run came to an end for Rouissat, but at least they kept the deficit manageable.