Choi Soon-ho


Choi Soon-ho is a South Korean football manager and former player.

International career

Choi was named in 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 in the final, but they lost this time. Choi became the youngest ever player to be the top scorer in the AFC Asian Cup at age 18.
In 1981, he led South Korean under-20 team to the 1980 AFC Youth Championship title by scoring four goals. He also played FIFA World Youth Championship matches as the Asian champion in the same year. He defeated Italy 4–1 in the first game by having two goals and two assists. 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 by having one goal and eight assists in eight games of the qualification. He scored a goal outside the penalty area in a group match against Italy. He finally provided two assists as well as scoring a goal in the World Cup, proving his abilities outside Asia.
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.

Style of play

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.

Career statistics

Club

International

The KFA is showing the list of Choi's 96 international appearances in its official website.
The RSSSF is claiming 103 appearances about Choi's international career by recognising eight more appearances against Malaysia B, Thailand B, Bahrain B, NIAC Mitra, Indonesia, Czechoslovakia XI, the Soviet Union Olympic and Argentina Olympic, and excluding one appearance against the United States.
The RSSSF recognised his appearances in the 1984 Summer Olympics qualification, but it is not recognising his two goals against Bahrain and New Zealand in the competition.
In 1999, Choi was inducted into the AFC Century Club, the selection of AFC players to win 100 or more caps, with 113 caps by the standard of the time.


  • CompetitionAppsGoals
    Friendlies142
    Minor competitions339
    Asian Games135
    AFC Asian Cup67
    Afro-Asian Cup of Nations10
    Summer Olympics qualification52
    Summer Olympics10
    FIFA World Cup qualification184
    FIFA World Cup51
    Total9630


    • No.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition
    125 August 1980Chuncheon, South Korea11–03–01980 Korea Cup
    216 September 1980Kuwait City, Kuwait31–01–11980 AFC Asian Cup
    319 September 1980Kuwait City, Kuwait42–02–01980 AFC Asian Cup
    421 September 1980Kuwait City, Kuwait52–03–01980 AFC Asian Cup
    521 September 1980Kuwait City, Kuwait53–03–01980 AFC Asian Cup
    624 September 1980Kuwait City, Kuwait61–04–11980 AFC Asian Cup
    724 September 1980Kuwait City, Kuwait62–04–11980 AFC Asian Cup
    824 September 1980Kuwait City, Kuwait63–04–11980 AFC Asian Cup
    924 April 1981Kuwait City, Kuwait111–05–11982 FIFA World Cup qualification
    1024 April 1981Kuwait City, Kuwait115–15–11982 FIFA World Cup qualification
    1121 March 1982Seoul, South Korea162–03–0Friendly
    1211 June 1982Gwangyang, South Korea203–03–01982 Korea Cup
    1321 November 1982New Delhi, India212–03–01982 Asian Games
    1421 November 1982New Delhi, India213–03–01982 Asian Games
    1519 April 1984Singapore311–01–01984 Summer Olympics qualification
    1622 April 1984Singapore322–02–01984 Summer Olympics qualification
    176 June 1985Daejeon, South Korea401–03–21985 Korea Cup
    188 June 1985Gwangju, South Korea411–03–01985 Korea Cup
    198 June 1985Gwangju, South Korea412–03–01985 Korea Cup
    2015 June 1985Seoul, South Korea421–02–01985 Korea Cup
    2115 June 1985Seoul, South Korea422–02–01985 Korea Cup
    2230 July 1985Jakarta, Indonesia442–04–11986 FIFA World Cup qualification
    2314 December 1985Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico472–02–01985 Mexico Tournament
    2410 June 1986Puebla, Mexico501–12–31986 FIFA World Cup
    2520 September 1986Busan, South Korea512–03–01986 Asian Games
    263 October 1986Seoul, South Korea552–04–01986 Asian Games
    273 October 1986Seoul, South Korea554–04–01986 Asian Games
    2819 June 1988Suwon, South Korea622–04–01988 Korea Cup
    2926 October 1988Tokyo, Japan641–01–0Friendly
    3027 May 1989Seoul, South Korea671–03–01990 FIFA World Cup qualification

    Honours

    Player

    POSCO Atoms
    • K League 1: 1986
    • Korean Semi-professional League: 1982
    • Korean Semi-professional League : 1981
    Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso
    • K League 1: 1990
    • Korean National Championship: 1988
    South Korea U20
    • AFC Youth Championship: 1980
    South Korea
    • Asian Games: 1986
    • AFC Asian Cup runner-up: 1980
    • Dynasty Cup: 1990
    • Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 1987
    Individual
    • AFC Asian Cup top goalscorer: 1980
    • AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 1980
    • Korean FA Best XI: 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986
    • AFC Youth Championship Most Valuable Player: 1980
    • AFC Youth Championship top goalscorer: 1980
    • K League 1 Best XI: 1984
    • Korean FA Most Valuable Player: 1990
    • K League All-Star: 1991
    • K League '80s All-Star Team: 2003
    • K League 30th Anniversary Best XI: 2013
    • K League Hall of Fame: 2023

      Manager

    Hyundai Mipo Dockyard
    • Korea National League: 2007, 2008
    • Korean President's Cup: 2008
    Individual
    • K League All-Star: 2004
    • Korea National League Manager of the Year: 2007, 2008
    • Korean President's Cup Best Manager: 2008