Choi Soon-ho (Hangul: 최순호; Hanja: 崔淳鎬; born 10 January 1962) is a former South Korean football manager and player.
![]() Choi in 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Choi Soon-ho | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | (1962-01-10) 10 January 1962 (age 60) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Cheongju, Chungbuk, South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Striker, attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cheongju Commercial High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1983[1] | Kwangwoon University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1980–1987 | POSCO Atoms | 55 | (21) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1988–1990 | Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso | 28 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1991 | POSCO Atoms | 16 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1992–1993 | Rodez | 18 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | 117 | (25) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1979–1981 | South Korea U20 | 10 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1980–1991 | South Korea | 95 | (30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2000–2004 | Pohang Steelers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2006–2008 | Hyundai Mipo Dockyard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2009–2011 | Gangwon FC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016–2019 | Pohang Steelers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Honours
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Choi Soon-ho | |
Hangul | 최순호 |
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Hanja | 崔淳鎬 |
Revised Romanization | Choe Sun-ho |
McCune–Reischauer | Ch'oe Sun-ho |
Choi was named in the South Korean squad for the 1980 AFC Asian Cup. He scored seven goals including two goals against Kuwait, and a hat-trick against United Arab Emirates in the group stage. South Korea met Kuwait again at the final, but they lost this time. Choi became the youngest player to be the top scorer in the history of the AFC Asian Cup at age 18.
In March 1981, he won the 1980 AFC Youth Championship, in which he scored four goals, with the South Korea under-20 team. He also played at the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship in the same year. He defeated Italy 4–1 in the first game by recording two goals and two assists.[3] However, South Korea was eliminated in the group stage after losing to Romania and Brazil.
Choi was selected for the South Korean squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. He contributed to more than half of the team's 17 goals with one goal and eight assists in eight games of the qualification.[3] He scored a goal outside the penalty area against Italy.[4] He finally recorded two assists as well as a goal in the World Cup, proving his abilities outside Asia.
A Serie A club Juventus was interested in Choi after the World Youth Championship. Its interest lasted until the end of the 1986 World Cup, but his team POSCO consistently rejected its offer.[5][6]
Regarded as one of the most technically gifted forwards in South Korea, Choi was proficient at controlling the ball with various skills including shot, dribble, touch, and pass. He also showed good speed, wide vision and supple body, having hardly any weak point. He normally played as a striker, but he could also play as an attacking midfielder to create chances.[3][5]
Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
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Division | Club | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
POSCO Atoms | 1980 | Semipro League | ? | ? | ?[lower-alpha 1] | ? | — | ?[lower-alpha 2] | ? | ? | ? | |
1981 | Semipro League | ? | ? | ?[lower-alpha 1] | ? | — | ?[lower-alpha 2] | ? | ? | ? | ||
1982 | Semipro League | ? | ? | ?[lower-alpha 1] | ? | — | ?[lower-alpha 2] | ? | ? | ? | ||
1983 | K League | 2 | 2 | ?[lower-alpha 1] | ? | — | ?[lower-alpha 2] | ? | 2 | 2 | ||
1984 | K League | 24 | 14 | — | — | — | 24 | 14 | ||||
1985 | K League | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | ||||
1986 | K League | 8 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | |||
1987 | K League | 16 | 2 | — | — | — | 16 | 2 | ||||
Total | 55 | 21 | ? | ? | 1 | 0 | — | 56 | 21 | |||
Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso | 1988 | K League | 11 | 1 | ?[lower-alpha 1] | ? | — | — | 11 | 1 | ||
1989 | K League | 9 | 0 | ?[lower-alpha 1] | ? | — | — | 9 | 0 | |||
1990 | K League | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | ||||
Total | 28 | 2 | ? | ? | — | — | 28 | 2 | ||||
POSCO Atoms | 1991 | K League | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | |||
Rodez | 1992–93 | French Division 2 | 18 | 2 | ?[lower-alpha 3] | ? | — | — | 18 | 2 | ||
Career total | 117 | 25 | ? | ? | 1 | 0 | ? | ? | 118 | 25 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
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South Korea | 1980 | 8 | 8 |
1981 | 4 | 2 | |
1982 | 11 | 4 | |
1983 | 6 | 0 | |
1984 | 6 | 2 | |
1985 | 12 | 7 | |
1986 | 9 | 4 | |
1987 | 4 | 0 | |
1988 | 4 | 2 | |
1989 | 10 | 1 | |
1990 | 18 | 0 | |
1991 | 4 | 0 | |
Career total | 96 | 30 |
Competition | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|
Friendlies | 15 | 2 |
Minor competitions | 32 | 9 |
Asian Games | 13 | 5 |
AFC Asian Cup | 6 | 7 |
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations | 1 | 0 |
Summer Olympics qualification | 5 | 2 |
Summer Olympics | 1 | 0 |
FIFA World Cup qualification | 17 | 4 |
FIFA World Cup | 6 | 1 |
Total | 96 | 30 |
No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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1 | 25 August 1980 | Chuncheon, South Korea | 1 | ![]() | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1980 Korea Cup |
2 | 16 September 1980 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 3 | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
3 | 19 September 1980 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 4 | ![]() | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
4 | 21 September 1980 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 5 | ![]() | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
5 | 3–0 | ||||||
6 | 24 September 1980 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 6 | ![]() | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
7 | 2–0 | ||||||
8 | 3–0 | ||||||
9 | 24 April 1981 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 11 | ![]() | 1–0 | 5–1 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification |
10 | 5–1 | ||||||
11 | 21 March 1982 | Seoul, South Korea | 16 | ![]() | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
12 | 11 June 1982 | Gwangyang, South Korea | 20 | ![]() | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1982 Korea Cup |
13 | 21 November 1982 | New Delhi, India | 21 | ![]() | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1982 Asian Games |
14 | 3–0 | ||||||
15 | 19 April 1984 | Singapore | 31 | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1984 Summer Olympics qualification |
16 | 22 April 1984 | Singapore | 32 | ![]() | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1984 Summer Olympics qualification |
17 | 6 June 1985 | Daejeon, South Korea | 40 | ![]() | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1985 Korea Cup |
18 | 8 June 1985 | Gwangju, South Korea | 41 | ![]() | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1985 Korea Cup |
19 | 2–0 | ||||||
20 | 15 June 1985 | Seoul, South Korea | 42 | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1985 Korea Cup |
21 | 2–0 | ||||||
22 | 30 July 1985 | Jakarta, Indonesia | 44 | ![]() | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification |
23 | 14 December 1985 | Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico | 47 | ![]() | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1985 Mexico Tournament |
24 | 10 June 1986 | Puebla, Mexico | 50 | ![]() | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1986 FIFA World Cup |
25 | 20 September 1986 | Busan, South Korea | 51 | ![]() | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1986 Asian Games |
26 | 3 October 1986 | Seoul, South Korea | 55 | ![]() | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1986 Asian Games |
27 | 4–0 | ||||||
28 | 19 June 1988 | Suwon, South Korea | 62 | ![]() | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1988 Korea Cup |
29 | 26 October 1988 | Tokyo, Japan | 64 | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
30 | 27 May 1989 | Seoul, South Korea | 67 | ![]() | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
POSCO Atoms
Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso
South Korea U20
South Korea
Individual
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard
Individual
Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Choi Soon-ho managerial boxes | |||||||||
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