"This is only a group match, which cannot prove a lot of things.We must work harder to prepare for the next match," Zhu said at a news conference.

"The lapse of concentration emerged after the big lead, and Malaysia scored, which is a lesson for us," he noted.

He said that the next match against Iran would be much tougher and China must work even harder.

Forward Han Peng, who scored twice in the match, also noted the players must concentrate on the next match.

China will play against hot favorites Iran on July 15.