Career
He spent his whole playing career for as an attacking left-back. After retiring, he moved into management, where he went on to manage Guangzhou twice as well as Shenzhen Xiangxue. Mai Chao spent his whole playing career with as an attacking left-back and saw the team rise through the Chinese pyramid before being called up to the Chinese national team where he would make his debut appearance against Italy in friendly on May 11, 1986 in a 2–0 defeat.
Unfortunately he was part of the squad that narrowly missed out of reaching the Fédération internationale de football association World Cup after losing the final group game to Qatar in the dying minutes during qualification.
Mai, however would end his international career as the countries top goalscoring defender while also seeing Guangzhou move into full professionalism before he retired. After retiring Mai would move into training and due to high regard within Guangzhou he would rejoin them in 1997 as their new manager.
His time as manager was not successful and he was gone by the end of the 1998 league season, which also saw the club relegated after they finished bottom of the league. Out of management he would go on to form a youth football school before Guangzhou once again asked for his services.
Despite coming close through the next two seasons Guangzhou decided to allow Mai to leave, however he wouldn"t have to wait long before he took a position at Shenzhen Xiangxue on January, 2007 where he was the Teams leader.
This would later become Head coach on December 14 of the same year during the off season where during this period he took on the training sessions and lead the team out at the beginning of the 2008 Chinese Super League before his contracted finished and he left the club
