Norizan said he should not be blamed for Malaysia's triple defeats, capped by a 0-2 loss to Iran.

They were earlier hammered 1-5 by China and 0-5 by Uzbekistan, prompting the Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) deputy president and two independent council members to step down.

'I think it's unfair. I've tried to do my level best with the talent that Malaysia has,' said Norizan.

'As you know I'm a teacher. I don't think that when a student fails I have to stop teaching.

'There have to be solutions to the problems. There were problems related to our preparation and these problems always need to be solved.'

Meanwhile, the cabinet ordered FAM to submit a report by the end of the month on the fiasco.

'Most of the cabinet members are utterly disappointed by what has happened with the national team,' Sports Minister Azalina Othman Said told the New Straits Times newspaper.

'FAM's failure is a national disaster and it shouldn't be this way. FAM must tell us what the problem is. The government is ready to help.'

The country's early exit has piled pressure on FAM chief Sultan Ahmad Shah to relinquish the post he has held since 1984.

So far, he has refused, promising instead to overhaul the management.

Malaysia were once a significant force in regional football, qualifying for the 1972 and 1980 Olympics and two Asian Cups.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE