Doha, March 16 (IANS) Algeria’s Djamel Belmadi has been appointed as the head coach of Qatar’s national team, the country’s football governing body said Sunday.

The 37-year-old Belmadi spent most of his player career with European clubs and retired in France’s Valenciennes in 2009, reports Xinhua.

His first experience as head coach was in Qatar’s Lekhwiya. After taking the position in the summer of 2010, he led the newly-promoted top division club to two league titles in 2011 and 2012.

The country’s former coach Fahad Thani, under whose charge Qatar failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, has been given the job as coach of the Olympic squad.