In the first match of Day 4 of the 2023 IHF Men’s Super Globe, Saudi side Al-Noor delivered their first win of this edition, making a comeback in the second half against San Fernando HB, with their 31:29 win sending the hosts to the Placement Match 9/10.

PLACEMENT MATCHES 9–12
Al-Noor (KSA) vs San Fernando HB (ARG) 31:29 (14:15)

As both sides lost their first two matches, this was always going to be a big game for them, looking for their maiden win at the 2023 IHF Men’s Super Globe – and in San Fernando’s case, looking for their maiden win in the history of the competition.

It looked like a balanced game from the start, as it became apparent that it is going to be a match of streaks, with Al-Noor using a 3:0 unanswered run to erase a two-goal deficit and take their first lead, before San Fernando had their own 4:0 run and created an 8:5 lead for themselves.

Goalkeeper Nicolas Vella was instrumental for the Argentinian side in the first half, saving 10 shots for a 47% saving efficiency, constantly frustrating Al-Noor’s attack, also adding more of the same in the start of the second half, when San Fernando used a 3:1 run to boast a three-goal lead, 18:15.

The Argentinian side relied on their most experienced player, Frederico Fernandez, who scored five times, but deployed the same high-risk approach, either using a 3-3 aggressive defence or a seven-on-six attack, which were tactics Al-Noor adapted to, as the game progressed.

A 6:2 run, with two goals from back Ante Gadza, saw Al-Noor take a 23:22 lead, with 13 minutes and 28 seconds to go in the match, their first lead in more than 40 minutes, as the Saudi side started to take advantage of San Fernando’s tired legs, with the seven-on-six attack starting to backfire with open goals scored by Al-Noor.

Gadza finished as the top scorer of the match, with 10 goals, as San Fernando lacked the impetus to convert their clear-cut chances, with misses piling up in the second half, where their efficiency dropped, eventually conceding a 29:31 loss.

With their maiden win of the edition, Al-Noor are now heading to the Placement Match 9/10, where they face the winner between UQ and the San Francisco CalHeat. On the other hand, San Fernando HB will have another chance to secure their maiden win, when they take on the team which loses between the Australian and the American teams.

hummel Player of the Match: Marouane Chouiref (Al-Noor)