# Choi Soon-ho

Choi Soon-ho (Korean: 최순호; Hanja: 崔淳鎬; born 10 January 1962) 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

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Club | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| POSCO Atoms | 1980 | Semipro League | ? | ? | ? | ? | — | — | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| POSCO Atoms | 1981 | Semipro League | ? | ? | ? | ? | — | — | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| POSCO Atoms | 1982 | Semipro League | ? | ? | ? | ? | — | — | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| POSCO Atoms | 1983 | K League | 2 | 2 | ? | ? | — | — | ? | ? | 2 | 2 |
| POSCO Atoms | 1984 | K League | 24 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | 14 |
| POSCO Atoms | 1985 | K League | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 |
| POSCO Atoms | 1986 | K League | 8 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1 |
| POSCO Atoms | 1987 | K League | 16 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 2 |
| POSCO Atoms | Total | Total | 55 | 21 | ? | ? | 1 | 0 | — | — | 56 | 21 |
| Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso | 1988 | K League | 11 | 1 | ? | ? | — | — | — | — | 11 | 1 |
| Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso | 1989 | K League | 9 | 0 | ? | ? | — | — | — | — | 9 | 0 |
| Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso | 1990 | K League | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 1 |
| Lucky-Goldstar Hwangso | Total | Total | 28 | 2 | ? | ? | — | — | — | — | 28 | 2 |
| POSCO Atoms | 1991 | K League | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 0 |
| Rodez | 1992–93 | French Division 2 | 18 | 2 | ? | ? | — | — | — | — | 18 | 2 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 117 | 25 | ? | ? | 1 | 0 | ? | ? | 118 | 25 |
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 Appearance(s) in Korean National Championship
* 1 2 3 4 Appearance(s) in Korean President's Cup
* ↑ Appearance(s) in Coupe de France

### 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 (in 1980 Korea Cup), NIAC Mitra (in 1982 King's Cup), Indonesia (in 1983 Korea Cup), Czechoslovakia XI (in 1988 Korea Cup), the Soviet Union Olympic and Argentina Olympic (in 1988 Summer Olympics), and excluding one appearance against the United States (in 1983 Korea Cup).
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.
    Results list South Korea's goal tally first.
List of international goals scored by Choi Soon-ho :
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 25 August 1980 | Chuncheon, South Korea | 1 | Indonesia | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1980 Korea Cup |
| 2 | 16 September 1980 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 3 | Malaysia | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
| 3 | 19 September 1980 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 4 | Qatar | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
| 4 | 21 September 1980 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 5 | Kuwait | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
| 5 | 21 September 1980 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 5 | Kuwait | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
| 6 | 24 September 1980 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 6 | United Arab Emirates | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
| 7 | 24 September 1980 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 6 | United Arab Emirates | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
| 8 | 24 September 1980 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 6 | United Arab Emirates | 3–0 | 4–1 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
| 9 | 24 April 1981 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 11 | Thailand | 1–0 | 5–1 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 24 April 1981 | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 11 | Thailand | 5–1 | 5–1 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 21 March 1982 | Seoul, South Korea | 16 | Japan | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 12 | 11 June 1982 | Gwangyang, South Korea | 20 | Bahrain | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1982 Korea Cup |
| 13 | 21 November 1982 | New Delhi, India | 21 | South Yemen | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1982 Asian Games |
| 14 | 21 November 1982 | New Delhi, India | 21 | South Yemen | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1982 Asian Games |
| 15 | 19 April 1984 | Singapore | 31 | Bahrain | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1984 Summer Olympics qualification |
| 16 | 22 April 1984 | Singapore | 32 | New Zealand | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1984 Summer Olympics qualification |
| 17 | 6 June 1985 | Daejeon, South Korea | 40 | Thailand | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1985 Korea Cup |
| 18 | 8 June 1985 | Gwangju, South Korea | 41 | Bahrain | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1985 Korea Cup |
| 19 | 8 June 1985 | Gwangju, South Korea | 41 | Bahrain | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1985 Korea Cup |
| 20 | 15 June 1985 | Seoul, South Korea | 42 | Iraq | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1985 Korea Cup |
| 21 | 15 June 1985 | Seoul, South Korea | 42 | Iraq | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1985 Korea Cup |
| 22 | 30 July 1985 | Jakarta, Indonesia | 44 | Indonesia | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 23 | 14 December 1985 | Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico | 47 | Algeria | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1985 Mexico Tournament |
| 24 | 10 June 1986 | Puebla, Mexico | 50 | Italy | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1986 FIFA World Cup |
| 25 | 20 September 1986 | Busan, South Korea | 51 | India | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1986 Asian Games |
| 26 | 3 October 1986 | Seoul, South Korea | 55 | Indonesia | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1986 Asian Games |
| 27 | 3 October 1986 | Seoul, South Korea | 55 | Indonesia | 4–0 | 4–0 | 1986 Asian Games |
| 28 | 19 June 1988 | Suwon, South Korea | 62 | Zambia | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1988 Korea Cup |
| 29 | 26 October 1988 | Tokyo, Japan | 64 | Japan | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 30 | 27 May 1989 | Seoul, South Korea | 67 | Malaysia | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |

## Honours
### Player

POSCO Atoms
* K League 1: 1986
* Korean Semi-professional League: 1982
* Korean Semi-professional League (Autumn): 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
* Korea National League Manager of the Year: 2007, 2008
* Korean President's Cup Best Manager: 2008