With confirmation that Kaizer Chiefs are set to play Qatari side Al Shahaniya SC in a pre-season friendly on 20 July, we take a look at what we know about the Qatari outfit so far!
The story
In statement posted on the club's official website on Thursday, Chiefs confimred: "With the team continuing with their pre-season camp and preparations in Turkiye, Amakhosi will play their third practice/friendly match against Qatar's Al Shahaniya SC in Istanbul on Saturday, 20 July.
"Al Shahaniya gained promotion to the Qatar Stars League (QSL) after they were crowned champions at the end of the previous season."
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With the club having played their previous warm-up matches behind closed doors, here's a look at what we know about Al Shahaniya so far:
A relatively young club
According to the Qatar Football Association, the club was founded in December 1998 under the name Al-Nasr. The team was initially located in the capital city of Doha but in 2001, it relocated to the town of Al Shahaniya, which is believed to be 20 km northwest of Doha. In 2004, the club formally changed their name from Al-Nasr to Al Shahaniya by the board of directors to represent the region it is now from.
A La Masia graduate within their ranks
One of the most recognisable names in the team is former FC Barcelona academy player Marc Muniesa. The defender was a highly-rated youngster at one point, as he made a 81 appearances for Barca's reserve team. This wasn't enough for him to break into the first-team and establish himself though, as he made only played four matches for the senior team before he joined Stoke City in 2013. Some of the notable managers of his career includes Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola, and Mark Hughes.
A minnow in Qatari football
Having earned promotion from second-tier football to the topflight in 2024/25, Al Shahaniya could be considered a bottom-table team as they have been relegated from the Qatar Stars League twice since the 2015/16 season. They will also be playing top-flight football for the first time since the 2019/20 season.
Record appearance maker played for Real Madrid!
There appears to be an affinity for Spanish players at the club, as former Real star Alvaro Mejia hold the record for the most appearances made for the club with 91 matches, according to Transfermarkt.
Notably, Mejia played 57 matches for Los Blancos between 2003 and 2007 after graduating from the club's Castilla academy. Another notable name that once represented the club is Netherlands legend and former Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong.
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