Kuala Lumpur: AFC President Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has offered his deepest condolences on the demise of Chinese football legend Zeng Xuelin who has died of uremia aged 87.
A goalkeeper in his playing career, the Thai-born Zeng helped Tianjin FC finish second in the first Chinese National Games in 1959 before becoming the club’s coach the following year in which he helped the side win the top-flight league and Chinese FA Cup titles.
In 1973, Zeng took over the reins at Beijing FC where he achieved instant success by winning that year’s league title. He became the China national team coach after helping Beijing win the league in 1982.
Zeng subsequently led the national team to finish runners-up in the 1984 AFC Asian Cup in Singapore.
Zeng will be remembered for his services and contribution to Chinese football, both for his club and the national team.
The thoughts and prayers of the AFC, the Chinese Football Association and the rest of the Asian football community are with the family and friends of Zeng.
Source: the-afc.com