KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 -- Malaysian coach Norizan Bakar criticized his players for lack of team spirit after his side losing to China 5-1 in their first Group C game at the 2007 Asian Cup.

"The players should have worked together as a team......cannot sit back and do individual things," he said at a news conference after the match.

"We must forget what is happening tonight and perform better in the next match," he noted.

Malaysia became the only co-host who lost its opening match.

The tournament was co-hosted by soccer minnows Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. Before the game, Thailand tied Iraq 1-1, Vietnam beat United Arab Emirates 2-0, and Indonesia upset Bahrain 2-1. The co-hosts' brilliant performances shocked Asia and the world.

But China said no to this trend.

Malaysia will face Uzbekistan on July 14.