Choi Soon-ho facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Choi Soon-ho

Choi in 2015
Personal information
Date of birth	(1962-01-10) 10 January 1962 (age 63)
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	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)
International career
1979–1981	South Korea U20	10	(6)
1980–1991	South Korea	103	(30)
Managerial career
2000–2004	Pohang Steelers
2006–2008	Hyundai Mipo Dockyard
2009–2011	Gangwon FC
2016–2019	Pohang Steelers
Medal record Representing  South Korea Men's football Asian Games Gold 1986 Seoul Team Bronze 1990 Beijing Team AFC Asian Cup Silver 1980 Kuwait Team AFC Youth Championship Gold 1980 Thailand Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Choi Soon-ho (Hangul: 최순호; Hanja: 崔淳鎬; born 10 January 1962) is a famous South Korean football player and manager. He was known for his amazing skills as a striker and attacking midfielder. Choi is considered one of the best football players from South Korea in his time.

Choi's Amazing International Career

Choi Soon-ho had a fantastic career playing for his country, South Korea. He showed his talent on the world stage many times.

Becoming a Star at the AFC Asian Cup

In 1980, when Choi was just 18 years old, he joined the South Korean team for the 1980 AFC Asian Cup. This is a big tournament for national teams in Asia. He scored seven goals in the competition, including three goals in one game against the United Arab Emirates. He also scored two goals against Kuwait. South Korea reached the final but lost to Kuwait. Choi became the youngest player ever to be the top scorer in the AFC Asian Cup.

Leading the Under-20 Team to Victory

In 1981, Choi led the South Korean under-20 team to win the 1980 AFC Youth Championship. He scored four goals in that tournament. Later that year, he played in the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship, which is a global competition for young players. In their first game, South Korea beat Italy 4–1, with Choi scoring two goals and helping with two others. Even with his great performance, South Korea did not make it past the group stage.

Playing in the FIFA World Cup

Choi was chosen for the South Korean team that played in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. He was a key player in the qualification games, scoring one goal and assisting eight others, which was more than half of the team's 17 goals. In the World Cup itself, he scored a goal from outside the penalty area against Italy. He also provided two assists during the tournament. This showed everyone that he could perform at the highest level of international football.

European Interest in Choi

After the World Youth Championship, a famous Italian club called Juventus became interested in signing Choi. Their interest continued even after the 1986 World Cup. However, Choi's team in South Korea, POSCO Atoms, kept turning down Juventus's offers. This meant Choi stayed in South Korea for most of his playing career.

Choi's Playing Style

Choi Soon-ho was known as one of the most skilled forwards in South Korea. He was excellent at controlling the football. He could shoot, dribble, touch, and pass the ball with great precision. He was also very fast and had a wide view of the field, meaning he could see where all the players were. He was a very complete player with hardly any weaknesses. While he usually played as a striker, he could also play as an attacking midfielder. This allowed him to create scoring chances for his teammates.

Choi's Club Career Highlights

Choi played for several clubs during his career. He spent many years with POSCO Atoms (now Pohang Steelers) and also played for Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso (now FC Seoul). He even played for a short time in France with Rodez.

• POSCO Atoms
  • He won the K League 1 title in 1986.
  • He also won the Korean Semi-professional League in 1982 and the Autumn season in 1981.
• Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso
  • He won the K League 1 title in 1990.
  • He also won the Korean National Championship in 1988.

Choi's Managerial Career

After retiring as a player, Choi Soon-ho became a football manager. He managed several teams in South Korea.

• Hyundai Mipo Dockyard
  • He led this team to win the Korea National League in 2007 and 2008.
  • They also won the Korean President's Cup in 2008.

Awards and Honours

Choi Soon-ho received many awards and honours throughout his career, both as a player and as a manager.

Player Honours

• With South Korea U20
  • AFC Youth Championship: 1980 (Gold Medal)
• With South Korea National Team
  • Asian Games: 1986 (Gold Medal), 1990 (Bronze Medal)
  • AFC Asian Cup runner-up: 1980 (Silver Medal)
  • Dynasty Cup: 1990
  • Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 1987

Individual Player Awards

• AFC Asian Cup top goalscorer: 1980
• AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: 1980
• 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
• Inducted into the AFC Century Club (for players with 100+ international caps) in 1999.
• Inducted into the K League Hall of Fame: 2023

Manager Honours

• Individual Manager Awards
  • Korea National League Manager of the Year: 2007, 2008
  • Korean President's Cup Best Manager: 2008

Images for kids

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  Choi in 2015