CHANGCHUN, China, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Super League (CSL) side Yanbian Fude, which finished ninth in the 2016 season, on Wednesday announced the termination of the contract with South Korean striker Ha Tae-Goon.
Yanbian said on its official website: "Yanbian Fude Football Club has terminated the contract with Ha and Ha leaves."
"We thank Ha for his contribution and sincerely wish him a nice future in his career," said the statement.
The 29-year-old forward scored 26 goals in the 2015 season for Yanbian, helping the team upgrade to the CSL from the Chinese League One. He was given a nickname "river god" by fans, as his last name Ha means "river" in Chinese.
In the 2016 season, Ha only contributed three goals and four assists to Yanbian, including a six-month goal drought. Comparing to the other non-Chinese footballers of Yanbian, Ha tied the Serbian defender Nikola Petkovic with the fewest goals.
When Yanbian transfered its former captain Cui Min to Shenzhen in January 2017, the club signed Hungarian international Richard Guzmics to fortify the defense line.
According to the CSL rules made by the Chinese Football Association (CFA), each team is allowed to have a maximum of five foreign footballers. Yanbian had six non-Chinese players before Ha's departure.
The 2017 season will kick off on March 3, and Yanbian, which vows to enter top eight, will face Chongqing, which finished eighth last season, on road in the first round.