China's sensational 5-1 victory over hosts Malaysia in their Asian Cup opener on Tuesday in one swoop silenced critics of under-fire coach Zhu Guanghu. "Three musketeers shoot the hosts" the Beijing [Images] News trumpeted.
Titan sport newspaper reported the "cordial shot in the arm" for Zhu with "Break the curse of the hosts" and an editorial marking an "almost perfect debut".
Zhu, who took charge after China failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals, has been under severe criticism following a series of defeats in recent months.
The criticism reached a crescendo after China's first loss to Thailand in 17 years in May.
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) resisted calls to replace the 57-year-old with Under-22 team coach Ratomir Dujkovic but he still knows that anything less than a semifinal appearance could spell the sack.
"(A place in) the last four is not an apple pie dropping down from heaven... but everybody in my team will fight for Chinese football," Wednesday's edition of Soccer News quoted Zhu as saying.
"I'm confident with my team. I'm calm because I'm ready to face every possible result."
China play their next match on Sunday against Iran, then Uzbekistan next Wednesday.
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