The Chinese Football Association has made Guus Hiddink of the Netherlands the top candidate to take over the Chinese national soccer team, a CFA source said yesterday.

A group, made up of four CFA officials, had drawn up a list of three candidates for the post which has been vacant since Serbian Bora Milutinovic stepped down in July.

Besides Hiddink, former French coach Aime Jacquet and former Japanese coach Philippe Troussier are also on the list.

Hiddink, who led South Korea to the World Cup semi-finals, is CFA's first choice to fill the vacancy as he has a profound understanding of Asian soccer, the official, who preferred anonymity, said.

Moreover, the 55-year-old Dutchman had impressed the CFA with his strict training regime when he was at the helm of the South Korean team.

Milutinovic had been advocating the "happy soccer" philosophy since he took over the Chinese team in January 2000. But his training approach, which was perceived as weak, often came in for criticism from the media and some players.

After guiding China to the World Cup, he was criticized following three straight defeats in the tournament in South Korea.

The official said the group believed that Hiddink's rigid training methods would benefit the national side.

However, Hiddink recently said he would not consider coaching the Chinese team before 2004 when his contract with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven expires.

But the CFA is confident of landing the Dutch coach because of its close ties with the Dutch-based Philips Co. Ltd, which owns PSV Eindhoven.

If CFA fails to get Hiddink, Troussier will be the second most likely choice for the job.

Humberto Coelho, who steered Portugal to the semi-finals at Euro 2000, may well turn out to be the dark horse, the official added.

(eastday.com August 14, 2002)