Choi Soon-ho


Choi Soon-ho is a South Korean football manager and former professional football player. Regarded as one of the greatest South Korean strikers of all time, Choi was proficient at controlling the ball with various skills, including shooting, dribbling, touch and passing, and also had rapid speed, wide vision and supple body. He normally played as a striker, but he could also play as an attacking midfielder who creates chances.

International career

Choi was named in the South Korea 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. He became the youngest top scorer at age 18 in the history of the AFC Asian Cup.
In March 1981, he won the 1980 AFC Youth Championship, in which he scored four goals, with the South Korea under-20 team. In the same year, he also played at the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship, and defeated Italy 4–1 in the group stage by recording two goals and two assists.
He was selected for the South Korea squad for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. He contributed more than half of team's 17 goals with one goal and eight assists in eight games of the qualification. He recorded two assists and a goal, scored outside the penalty area against Italy, in the group stage.
After the World Youth Championship, a Serie A club Juventus was interested in Choi, but his team Pohang consistently rejected their offer, although their interest lasted until the end of the 1986 World Cup.

Career statistics

Club

Source:

International

Source:

International goals

DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
August 25, 1980Chuncheon, South Korea1 goal3–01980 Korea Cup
September 16, 1980Kuwait City, Kuwait1 goal1–11980 AFC Asian Cup
September 19, 1980Kuwait City, Kuwait1 goal2–01980 AFC Asian Cup
September 21, 1980Kuwait City, Kuwait2 goals3–01980 AFC Asian Cup
September 24, 1980Kuwait City, Kuwait3 goals4–11980 AFC Asian Cup
April 24, 1981Kuwait City, Kuwait2 goals5–11982 FIFA World Cup qualification
March 21, 1982Seoul, South Korea1 goal3–0Friendly match
June 11, 1982Gwangyang, South Korea1 goal3–01982 Korea Cup
November 21, 1982New Delhi, India2 goals3–01982 Asian Games
April 19, 1984Singapore, Singapore1 goal1–01984 Summer Olympics qualification
April 22, 1984Singapore, Singapore1 goal2–01984 Summer Olympics qualification
June 6, 1985Daejeon, South Korea1 goal3–21985 Korea Cup
June 8, 1985Gwangju, South Korea2 goals3–01985 Korea Cup
June 15, 1985Seoul, South Korea2 goals2–01985 Korea Cup
July 30, 1985Jakarta, Indonesia1 goal4–11986 FIFA World Cup qualification
December 14, 1985Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico1 goal2–01985 Mexico Tournament
June 10, 1986Puebla, Mexico1 goal2–31986 FIFA World Cup
September 20, 1986Busan, South Korea1 goal3–01986 Asian Games
October 3, 1986Seoul, South Korea2 goals4–01986 Asian Games
June 19, 1988Suwon, South Korea1 goal4–01988 Korea Cup
October 26, 1988Tokyo, Japan1 goal1–0Friendly match
May 27, 1989Seoul, South Korea1 goal3–01990 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Player

Pohang Steelworks
Lucky-Goldstar
South Korea U20
South Korea
Individual
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard
Individual