Romania coach Victor Piturca is hanging on to his job by a thread following Saturday's "shameful" 3-0 home defeat to Lithuania, according to the country's football federation president Mircea Sandu.

Piturca was given the task of notching seven points from the opening three World Cup qualifiers, against Lithuania, the Faroe Islands and France but Saturday's surprise result means that is now impossible.

The 52-year-old's future is now very much in the balance and anything less than a resounding victory over the Faroe Islands on Wednesday could see him given the sack.

"He failed," said Sandu. "It's a shameful result, but now is not the time to talk about a possible dismissal for Piturca.

"We'll decide the matter after the match against the Faroe Islands for sure."

Piturca has been sacked by Romania before, in his first spell in charge, when he was dismissed before Euro 2000 despite steering them through the qualification group undefeated.

Romania's last home defeat came three years ago, in Piturca's first game back at the helm, when they lost 2-0 to Holland.