Country: Qatar

Coach: Mongi Bennani

Key Players: Mustafa Alkrad (back), Hany El-Fakharany (line player), Mahmoud Hassab Alla (centre back)

Road to Qualification: Tournament hosts

History in Tournament: 1997: DNP, 2002: 1st, 2007: DNP, 2010: 2nd, 2011: 6th, 2012: 3rd, 2013: 7th, 2014: 2nd

Overview:

The host team of the IHF Super Globe 2015, Al-Sadd, are the most successful club team in their nation and region, competing in the first division of the Qatari Handball League and winning a record number of nine trophies in the domestic league. Their results extend beyond Qatar – Al-Sadd have won the Asian Club League Handball Championship a total of five times, making them the record holders for most titles in that competition, three GCC Cups and seven Emir Cups.

Outside of Asia, Al-Sadd have also tasted success – they were the Handball Club World Cup champions in 2000, and won the 2002 IHF Super Globe. In 2010 they were the IHF Super Globe runners-up, losing the final to BM Ciudad Real. In 2012 they claimed the bronze Super Globe medal, and in 2014 qualified for the final, recording a defeat at the hands of another Spanish powerhouse: FC Barcelona.

This year they come to the IHF Super Globe as host team of the championship, led by head coach Mongi Bennani. The Tunisian-born coach came to Al-Sadd from one of his nation’s most successful clubs, Esperance Sportive De Tunis, where he led his team to three trophies in one season (2012/13), before achieving four trophies in the 2013/14 season as technical manager. Benanni joined Al-Sadd ahead of the 2014/15 season; under his leadership the team qualified for the 2014 IHF Super Globe Final, ranked second in the national league and won the GCC Cup.

Key players for the side include national representative Mahmoud Hassab Alla, who was part of the silver-medal winning Qatar team at the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship in January this year, Mustafa Alkrad and Hany El-Fakharany.

Fans can follow Al-Sadd Handball on Instagram, and the sports club on Twitter.