After two straightforward wins in the quarter-finals qualification phase, SC Magdeburg and Al-Wehda Club secured their IHF Men’s Super Globe quarter-final spots on Tuesday.

Their work will be cut out on Wednesday, when they will face new opponents, with a semi-final berth at stake.

Magdeburg will face the Asian Club League champions, Qatari side Al Duhail, while Al-Wehda are measuring their forces with a rookie in the competition, EHF Champions League Men’s runner-up, Aalborg Håndbold. 

Either Al Noor or EC Pinheiros will also proceed to the final four teams, while the last game pits together reigning champions Barça and Egyptian powerhouse Zamalek SC.
 

• Barça won five of the six editions of the IHF Men’s Super Globe in which they took part, with the only exception coming in 2015, when they finished third
• Zamalek have never won against a European side in four games played in the competition
• If Magdeburg, Barcelona and Aalborg proceed to the semi-finals, three European sides will make it to the penultimate act for the sixth edition in a row
• Two teams, Al Noor and Aalborg, will make their IHF Men’s Super Globe debuts
• Neither team in all four quarter-final pairings have met their opponents before in any international competition

6 October, 13:15 AST
Al Duhail (QAT) vs SC Magdeburg (GER)

Having already taken a test run in Jeddah Sports Hall on Tuesday, SC Magdeburg will look for their second consecutive win at the IHF Men’s Super Globe 2021, after beating Sydney Uni Handball Club 32:20.

The German side gave plenty of rest to their crucial players, as the gap ballooned in their favour, yet still boast the second and third best scorers in the competition after one round: Dutch back Kay Smits with eight goals and 18-year-old left wing Elias Ruddat, who scored seven times.

Four months ago, the Qatari side won the Asian Club League Championship, with seven wins in seven games, but lost influential right back Angel Hernandez, who moved to Saudi side Al-Wehda for the IHF Men’s Super Globe.

Whether Hernandez’s loss will make or break Al Duhail is still to be seen, but Magdeburg are still one of the toughest opponents the Qatari team could have met at this stage in the competition.

Al Duhail still have experienced players in their roster, like goalkeeper Marquen Maggaiz or backs Rafael Capote and Amine Guehis, but neither of them can boast the experience of several seasons together in the Bundesliga, like Magdeburg do.

The reigning EHF European League Men’s winners are undefeated this season, winning six games in the Bundesliga and one in Jeddah and will be heavy favourites against Al Duhail

6 October, 15:30 AST
Al Noor Saudi Club (KSA) vs EC Pinheiros (BRA)

As the only quarter-final pairing not to boast a European side, this will be a game of utmost importance for both Al Noor and EC Pinheiros. The Saudi side, who sealed their place in the quarter-finals as the champions of the host country, will make their debut in the competition, with the pressure of a semi-final berth hanging over their shoulders.

On the other hand, Pinheiros have qualified for the IHF Men’s Super Globe for the third time and for the first time since 2017. A win against Al Noor would see the Brazilian side enjoy their best-ever result in the competition, after finishing fifth in 2011 and 2017.

“We know European and African teams quite well, but we don't have much information about Middle East teams. We know that their players are strong and that they use a style of play similar to that of the European teams,” said Pinheiros’ coach, Alex Aprile.

With plenty of Saudi players in the squad, playing in Jeddah will be an additional motivation for Al Noor, while Pinheiros had to travel around the world to take part in the competition.

Yet, the Brazilians are still upbeat. “It is an opportunity of a lifetime,” said back Philipp Seifert, one of the rising stars of Brazilian men’s handball.

6 October, 17:45 AST
Aalborg Håndbold (DEN) vs Al-Wehda Club (KSA)
 
Tuesday’s 29:20 win against San Francisco CalHeat was far from impressive by Al-Wehda, a dark horse at the IHF Men’s Super Globe 2021, after signing Qatari left back Frankis Carol Marzo and Cuban right back Angel Hernandez. The two combined for only eight goals, but the sternest test for the Saudi club will be the quarter-final against Aalborg Håndbold.

The Danish side are making their debut in the competition and are also the first Danish side ever to play in the IHF Men’s Super Globe. Therefore, the pressure is on their shoulders to deliver against a side that could test them, provided they have a good start in the game.

Marzo and Hernandez are unstoppable on a good day, unlocking defences with their powerful shots, but Aalborg are also tested in one of the most competitive domestic leagues in the world and in the EHF Champions League Men. This season, they conceded only two losses, the latest coming one week ago, 28:30 against HC Vardar.

The hosts do have neither the experience nor the depth Vardar boast and there are surely chemistry issues after Marzo and Hernandez’s transfers came late this summer. 

On the other hand, Al-Wehda’s defence will be tested by the second-best attack in the EHF Champions League Men, with Aalborg scoring 98 goals in the first three games, only six goals shy of the leaders of this standing, THW Kiel. With the Swedish pair of Lukas Sandell and Felix Claar in stellar form in the beginning of the season, Aalborg are the favourites.

6 October, 20:00 AST
Barça (ESP) vs Zamalek SC (EGY)

The derby of the quarter-finals, the game that – on paper – looks the most intriguing. Egyptian handball has made huge strides in 2021, as the men’s national team finished fifth at the IHF Men’s World Championship and fourth at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

However, Zamalek will face the biggest challenge in the quarter-finals: Barça, the reigning champions of the IHF Men’s Super Globe. The Spanish powerhouse won the last three editions of the competition and will look to improve their record of five trophies in six participations.

Barça will be buoyed by the return of left back Timothy N’Guessan and left wing Aitor Arino, both after lengthy injuries. Egyptian back Ali Zein, Barça’s new recruit this summer, will also take to the court against Zamalek, after playing for several seasons for their rivals, Al Ahly Cairo.

However, Barça are not invincible this time around, after securing the EHF Champions League Men with 20 wins out of 20 games last season. With a new coach in Carlos Ortega, the Spanish champions suffered a 28:29 loss against Telekom Veszprem HC in the European premium competition last week, highlighting their vulnerabilities.

Yet, Zamalek, who have finished third (2010) and fourth (2011 and 2012) need a perfect game from their stars to have a fighting chance. Veteran back Ahmed Elahmar and rising star Yehia Elderaa are Zamalek’s main weapons on the court, but facing an experienced defence could raise issues even for them.

The winner will be favourites in the semi-finals, where they will be facing either Al Noor or E.C. Pinheiros.

Photo: Aalborg Håndbold