CHINESE women’s national soccer team coach Hao Wei has quit his job and will join Chinese Super League (CSL) side Guangzhou Evergrande, reports said.

    He will become assistant coach to Brazilian World Cup winning manager Luiz Felipe Scolari and the head coach of the club’s reserve team, Sina.com reported yesterday.

    Hao began his professional soccer career in 1998, playing for CSL side Shandong Luneng. He rose to prominence in 1999 when he established himself as Shandong’s first choice right back and help them to a league and cup double.

    He also played for CSL sides Shanxi Guoli, Beijing Guoan and Changsha Ginde. After he retired his playing career with Ginde he took an assistant management position with the side in 2010.

    He became an assistant coach of the Chinese women’s national team and was named the head coach in 2012.

    Hao won much admiration for helping the Chinese women advance to the 2015 World Cup finals. They managed to reach the quarterfinals where they lost 0-1 to eventual champion the United Sates.

    The Chinese Football Association confirmed on its website Tuesday that it had accepted Hao’s resignation.

    The CFA said it has started the process of seeking a replacement for Hao to prepare the team for Olympic qualifiers next February.

    Evergrande confirmed to Sina.com that Hao will join the coaching team of the defending CSL champion.

    The Chinese women reached their pinnacle in the late 1990s, winning the 1996 Olympic silver medal and sealing a runner-up finish at the 1999 World Cup. They lost to the United States in both finals. The team has changed head coaches 11 times in the past 14 years.(SD-Agencies)