Wang Xiao He

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Wang Xiao He

| birth_place = Xi'an, China

| manageryears1 = 1989–1990

| managerclubs1 = Pakistan

| manageryears2 = 1990–1995

| managerclubs2 = Pakistan Army

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1952}}

| position = Forward

| clubs1 = Bayi

| nationalyears1 = 1974–1975

| nationalteam1 = China

| manageryears3 = 199?–1999

| managerclubs3 = Bayi

| manageryears4 = 2000

| managerclubs4 = Xi'an Anxinyuan

| manageryears5 = 200?–2003

| managerclubs5 = Pakistan Army

| manageryears6 = 2003–2004

| managerclubs6 = Pakistan U23

}}

Wang Xiao He ({{zh|s=王晓和|t=王曉和|p=Wáng Xiǎo Hé}}; born 1952) is a Chinese former football player and manager.

Wang represented the China national team in the 1970s. He also managed the Pakistan national football team in several occasions. Under his leadership, Pakistan won the 1989 South Asian Games, and later the 2004 South Asian Games with the Pakistan national under-23 team.

Early life

Wang was born in Xi'an, in the Shaanxi province of China.{{Cite web |title=安馨园前主教练王晓和有望挂帅巴基斯坦男足_国内足坛-其他_NIKE新浪竞技风暴_新浪网 |trans-title=Former Anxinyuan head coach Wang Xiaohe is expected to lead Pakistan men's football team |url=http://sports.sina.com.cn/c/2003-12-23/1127709477.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=sports.sina.com.cn |language=zh}}

Playing career

Wang played for the Bayi Football Team in the 1970s. He was selected for the China national team squad for the 1974 Asian Games. There are also different opinions that he was selected for the 1975 friendly match squad{{cite web |date=2007-03-18 |title=1936年到1981年国家足球队历届阵容和成绩 |trans-title=The national football team's lineups and results from 1936 to 1981 |url=https://www.163.com/sports/article/39SL342F00051C88_2.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709061025/https://www.163.com/sports/article/39SL342F00051C88_2.html |archive-date=9 July 2022 |accessdate=2022-07-09 |publisher=网易体育专稿 |language=zh}}{{Cite web |title=China National Football Team Database - Wang Xiaohe |url=http://teamchina.freehostia.com/player.php?lang=en&id=wangxiaohe |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=teamchina.freehostia.com}} or only for the youth team.{{cite web |date=2003-12-22 |title=中国引爆巴基斯坦足坛又一中国援外主帅诞生 |trans-title=China ignites Pakistani football scene, another Chinese foreign aid coach is born |url=http://sports.enorth.com.cn/system/2003/12/22/000698672.shtml?utm_source=UfqiNews |accessdate=2022-07-09 |publisher=www.enorth.com.cn |language=zh}}

Coaching career

Wang was first hired by the Pakistan Football Federation as part of the foreign aid by China before the 1989 South Asian Games, where he helped the side clinch the gold medal.

He later became affiliated with the Pakistan Army club. In 1995, he returned to China. In 1999, he led the Bayi Football Team. Xiaohe then coached Xi'an Anxinyuan, which had a cooperative relationship with the Bayi Football Team, but failed to achieve the goal of promotion and was fired. He returned to Pakistan to coach the Pakistan Army football team.

Installed again as head coach of Pakistan in December 2003 on the recommendations of the Pakistan Army club,{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/130234/chinese-xiao-named-coach |title=Chinese Xiao named coach - Newspaper |publisher=Dawn.Com |date=2003-12-19 |accessdate=2018-03-30}} with Tariq Lutfi and Balal Butt being named as his assistants,{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/131016 |title=Tariq, Balal to assist Chinese coach - Newspaper |publisher=Dawn.Com |date=2003-12-24 |accessdate=2018-03-30}}{{Cite web |last=Ali |first=Shazad |date=2003-12-31 |title=2003 bleak year for Pakistan football |url=http://beta.dawn.com/news/131784/2003-bleak-year-for-pakistan-football |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=9th South Asian Federation Games 2004 (Pakistan) |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/safg01.html |access-date=2024-12-28 |website=www.rsssf.org}} Wang was known for his stringent training program which focused on footballers' stamina during his time there.{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/393382 |title=PFF unlikely to retain Chinese coach - Newspaper |publisher=Dawn.Com |date=2004-04-11 |accessdate=2018-03-30}} He again clinched the gold medal at the 2004 South Asian Games with the Pakistan national under-23 team.{{Cite web |last=Ahsan |first=Ali |date=2011-02-02 |title=A history of football in Pakistan — Final part |url=https://www.dawn.com/2011/02/02/a-history-of-football-in-pakistan-final-part/ |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Ahsan |first=Ali |date=2011-07-20 |title=Not because they can't but because they won't |url=https://www.dawn.com/2011/07/20/not-because-they-cant-but-because-they-wont/ |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2009-12-19 |title='Pakistan to accomplish hat-trick in 11th SAG football' |url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/3712046/pakistan-to-accomplish-hat-trick-in-11th-sag-football-20091219998133 |access-date=2024-12-28 |website=Brecorder |language=en}}

In April 2004 Wang was discharged after the PFF didn't retain him. He later continued to coach military football players in Pakistan.{{cite web |date=2005-03-28 |title=体育传友谊 |trans-title=Sports spread friendship |url=http://mil.news.sina.com.cn/2005-03-28/0745276333.html?domain=mil.news.sina.com.cn |accessdate=2022-07-09 |publisher=jczs.sina.com.cn |language=zh}}