Yuechao: Their Playoffs, Their Leaders

Reporter Wang Wei reports The 2026 Guangdong Provincial City Football Super League (Yuechao) playoffs' eight-team qualifying round is about to begin in full swing. Just before the start, the reporter spoke with the head coaches of Zhaoqing, Yangjiang, and Shanwei, the three teams in the play-offs. After successfully leading their squads into the qualifying round, the three coaches unanimously expressed the same sentiment: making it to the play-offs is already a surprise, and only by casting aside all burdens and fighting to the end on the pitch can they create an even bigger surprise and bring greater glory to their cities.

As a native football pioneer in Zhaoqing, Huang Youbin has spent 30 years rooted in grassroots football. He led the Jinli Chengjun team, composed of hardware industry workers, to win the first national "Village Super League" championship, creating a grassroots football legend for Zhaoqing. In 2026, Huang Youbin took the helm of the Zhaoqing Yuechao team, guiding a newly assembled squad through the league and into the eight-team qualifying round, writing a new chapter in Zhaoqing's urban football development.

Reflecting on the team-building and regular season journey, Huang Youbin was deeply moved. "We did a lot of work starting from player selection after the Spring Festival. Since Zhaoqing's football foundation isn't very strong, we found some outstanding Zhaoqing-born players from places like Guangzhou to contribute to their hometown. Our biggest challenge was commuting, but everyone overcame that difficulty and was willing to keep traveling for their hometown. This shows the unity of these young men fighting for their city."

After nine intense rounds in the regular season, the Zhaoqing team, competing in Yuechao for the first time, achieved a record of 4 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses, earning 14 points and securing fourth place in the Western Division standings, successfully advancing to the playoffs. In an away game against Zhanjiang, the team staged a stunning comeback from 0-2 down to win 3-2, a match that became one of the classic games of this Yuechao season.

"In the first regular-season match, we beat Zhongshan, which showed the charm of Zhaoqing city. The team's morale was very high at that time. And whenever we lost, there were always people stepping up to encourage us," Huang Youbin said.

"After locking in the spot for the playoffs' eight-team qualifying round, everyone felt it was really hard-earned, because this is Zhaoqing's first team, starting from scratch just a few months ago. Making it to the play-offs is not easy. Especially after we drew 1-1 at home with Guangzhou and came back to win 3-2 away against Zhanjiang to secure the playoff spot, the cohesion of Zhaoqing city reached an unprecedented peak."

"From the very beginning of forming the team to now, the only constant for Zhaoqing is the trust the city leaders have placed in the coaching staff, and I'm very grateful for that. We've become more united, with strong cohesion, which is very beneficial for Zhaoqing. I hope we keep improving in the playoffs and continue moving forward," Huang Youbin said sincerely.

Looking ahead to the playoffs, Huang Youbin has a clear plan: "For Zhaoqing, there is still a gap compared to the football of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Meizhou, and Zhanjiang. We need to steadily build our foundation step by step. But in terms of team atmosphere and cohesion, we are not inferior to any team. I think this is the best time for sports in Zhaoqing, letting the citizens see the unity and positive side that football brings. I feel the citizens and fans of Zhaoqing are very supportive. Our attendance should be quite good across the entire Yuechao league. Thank you for the support from Zhaoqing citizens," he said.

"I used to have a dream of professional football, and although it didn't come true, I've achieved my football goals through amateur football." From winning the national grassroots Village Super League to leading a team in a provincial league, Huang Youbin has walked a difficult but joyful path.

Unlike Huang Youbin, Shanwei Yuechao head coach Mai Guangliang has a rich professional playing background. Born and raised in Guangzhou, Mai Guangliang played as a midfielder and defender during his playing days, representing Guangzhou Apollo's first team from 1996 to 2000 and being selected for national youth and Olympic training squads. After transitioning to coaching, Mai Guangliang has focused on futsal and youth development, now serving as a football coach training instructor.

Taking charge of the Shanwei Yuechao team this season, Mai Guangliang has diligently refined the squad and tapped into local football talent. "Shanwei also has some good players, many with solid foundations and unique characteristics." The current Shanwei team has a decent foundation, with its core largely coming from the youth training system of the former Lufeng Ruirong Football Club. Several players represented Lufeng years ago and won third place in the Guangdong County Football Tournament.

"For us, every match in this year's Yuechao has been crucial. We've always maintained a learning attitude. The team didn't really get into form until after three or five rounds," Mai Guangliang said.

Behind the team's steady improvement is the strong support from local authorities and the selfless dedication of the players. "I am very grateful to the local leaders in Shanwei. The team has had good support during its development and growth, from logistics to assurance, all well implemented. This has given our team a lot of confidence," Mai Guangliang said. "Recently, the Shanwei municipal party secretary met with the team, showing concern for the team's situation and development, and cheering us on. This moved all of us deeply. Thank you for the leaders' concern. We will definitely fight with Shanwei's spirit, and the team will not fail its mission. We all share a common goal now: to fight for the city of Shanwei."

Speaking about the team's spirit, Mai Guangliang praised the players' tenacity and resilience. "The players from Shanwei have great tenacity and fighting spirit." He admitted that the away game against Huizhou left a deep impression on him, with the team full of fighting spirit, eager to win, united as a group, and showing the hardworking spirit of the Hailufeng people. That game also helped the players find their own roles. Since then, the team has fought harder, drawing several times with strong provincial teams and showing impressive competitiveness.

In the upcoming playoff qualifying round, Shanwei will face Zhaoqing. Mai Guangliang's goal is clear: "I hope the team can be in good condition and achieve our goals."

As an experienced veteran coach in Chinese football, Guo Zuojin, originally from Qingdao, Shandong, has a rich coaching resume. He has assisted Zhu Guanghu multiple times, traveled to Brazil with the Jianlibao team, and served as an assistant coach for national teams. In 2025, he became involved in the youth development of Shandong Taishan. In 2026, Guo Zuojin went south to Yangjiang, Guangdong, to take charge of the Yangjiang Yuechao team.

"Leading a Yuechao team is a new experience for me. Coming to Yangjiang was a chance opportunity. The Yangjiang municipal government, the Yangjiang Cultural, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, and the Yangjiang Football Association sincerely invited me, hoping to build a strong Yangjiang team," Guo Zuojin admitted.

He arrived in Yangjiang from Qingdao at the end of March this year, leaving only a one-month preparation period before the season began. Yuechao rules require players to have local household registration and no professional playing experience. The Yangjiang team consists mainly of high school and college students, who have daily classes, making training time very limited. This became the biggest challenge for the coaching staff.

In the first round of the regular season, Yangjiang led Zhuhai 2-0 but saw their physical condition drop in the second half, allowing the opponent to equalize 2-2. After continuous adjustments, the team's form gradually improved. "Many teams in the Western Division are tough to play against, like Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Maoming, and Zhongshan." Guo Zuojin took a rational view of the league, knowing that the team's overall strength was not dominant. Yangjiang chose to approach every game as the underdog, establishing a defensive-first philosophy. Throughout the regular season, Yangjiang conceded only 6 goals, the fewest among both the Eastern and Western divisions.

"Our team's overall strength doesn't have a big advantage over other teams, so we prepared for each game with an underdog mentality. First, we organized the defense well. Yangjiang conceded the fewest goals because we paid great attention to defense. Our team-building philosophy was to prioritize defense and then look for scoring opportunities."

"Not a single regular-season game was easy for us. Every match was fought to the end; only by winning could we have hope. The team's cohesion and work ethic are very good," Guo Zuojin told the reporter. "Our defense is solid, so other teams can't easily beat us. But it's also not easy for us to beat ordinary teams. So we have to fight to the end in every game."

Now, Yangjiang has successfully advanced to the playoff qualifying round and will face Dongguan. The coaching staff is repeatedly studying opponents' videos and finalizing tactical plans. The team has played a practice match against Maoming for targeted preparation. Improving the variety of offensive moves is a weak point that Yangjiang urgently needs to address. Facing the upcoming tough battles, Guo Zuojin will lead this student team to continue adhering to the philosophy of solid defense and full effort, giving their all in the Yuechao playoffs.