KFA shortlists five candidates for national team coach

Korea's football governing body has shortlisted five candidates for the new national team coach to replace Huh Jung-moo, who stepped down after leading the team to the second round for the first time in an overseas tournament, officials said Wednesday.

"The technical committee has narrowed the list of candidates from between 12 and 13 to five," a senior official for the Korea Football Association (KFA) said.

The KFA has been looking for the new coach to guide the team in the upcoming Asian Cup slated for January of next year in Qatar and the 2014 World Cup tournament.

It has said that the technical panel, in charge of finding the right person for the top post, agreed to name a Korean coach, ruling out the possibility of recruiting a foreigner as most of Huh's predecessors were from overseas.

The final candidates are said to be Choi Kang-hee, Cho Kwang-rae, Hwang Sun-hong, Kim Ho-kon, all of whom are current coaches of K-League teams, and Chung Hae-soung, who was Huh's chief assistant coach for the 2010 South Africa World Cup.

Chung previously declined consideration for the post, but officials said he is still a candidate.

Choi, 51, who attended the 1990 World Cup finals as a defender, is the coach for the 2009 K-League champion Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Cho, 56, who leads Gyeongnam FC, is recognized for his team's organized strategy and for discovering young potential players.

Hwang, 42, a legendary striker in Korean football, instructs Busan I'Park, while Kim, 59, the coach of Ulsan Hyundai FC, led the Olympic football squad to the quarterfinals in 2004.

The KFA will hold a meeting next week to make a decision on the coach ahead of a friendly match on Aug. 11. The opposing team in the match has yet to be determined.