China coach under fire after narrow win over Singapore

China needed an injury-time penalty in Tianjin for the win on Wednesday night, but chants of "Fire Zhu Guanghu!" and "Sack the national team!" echoed throughout the stadium during the match and hundreds of angry fans later surrounded the team bus.

"We passionate fans demand Zhu's dismissal!" read a typical posting on Web portal Sina.com. "Don't destroy the national team please!"

China, which has a population 1.3 billion, slumped to their worst FIFA world ranking of 103 on Wednesday -- two places behind the Cape Verde Islands, population 420,000.

Coach Zhu, who took the helm after China failed

"I regard the call for dismissal by fans as a motivation," Zhu said after the match.

"Since I became coach, I've been prepared for it. My contract runs up until the end of the Asian Cup. I won't consider any questions about it until then."

China, who hosted the 2004 Asian Cup and lost in the final to Japan, lead qualifying Group E, which also includes Palestine and Iraq.

"It would be unforgivable if we failed to qualify," Energie Cottbus midfielder Shao Jiayi, who won and then converted the match-winning penalty, told the Beijing News.

The finals take place in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand next year.