World Cup 2018 the next target for Postecoglou and his Asian Cup winners

Australia captain Mile Jedinak hoists the Asian Cup trophy after defeating Korea in the final on Saturday. Saeed Khan / AFP

Ange Postecoglou set his sights on making an impact at the 2018 World Cup in Russia after his Australia team won their first ever AFC Asian Cup, beating South Korea 2-1 after extra time in dramatic final in Sydney.

“[Winning] this tournament here is a great achievement,” the Australia manager said. “But this is not where the journey ends for us, this is just the beginning.

“We have to push from here... We want to go to the next World Cup and make an impact. It’s all about leaving watermarks along the way and we left a pretty high mark now.”

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The Australians had to work hard to win their first Asian Cup. After taking the lead through a 45th-minute goal from Massimo Luongo, the hosts conceded an equaliser to South Korea’s Son Heung-min in stoppage time.

But Australia regained their composure in extra time and netted the winner through substitute James Troisi.

“I’m very proud of everyone involved, “ Postecoglou said. “To win a tournament like this takes a lot of hard work. Over the last month the staff and players did everything right to make sure gave ourselves the best chance of success.”

The manager said he told the players to earn the right to be champions as they prepared for extra time.

“I told them when you want to achieve something special you’ve got to work for it, it doesn’t come too easily,” Postecoglou said.

“Anyone who knows me and my history in finals, I knew there was a twist in the tale somewhere. We got tested, and like I said it would have broken a lot of teams to be so close to being champions and then to have that taken away from you, you feel the whole stadium lose its breath for a moment.

The thing we did know is that we were still going to be strong in extra time.”

Luongo had double cause for celebration after he was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“We set on this journey from before the World Cup,” the Swindon Town midfielder, 22, said. “I think the main thing was to have belief in ourselves because with boys that we have and the type of group that we are, is different than mots clubs or national teams.”

Luongo had twice during the the tournament received man of the match awards: in the opener against Kuwait and in the semi-final win over the UAE – although last night defender Trent Sainsbury took the award.

Wrapped in an Australian flag, Luongo said his first priority was to return to English third-tier side Swindon and help his club move up the divisions.

“I want to be a Socceroo for as long as I can,” he said. “But in the short term, I want to get Swindon promotedI’m back there in four days. I’m not worried about getting a move or anything like that. It’s just about going up and if we do, that’s brilliant.”

Postecoglou recalled the first time he ever watched Luongo at Swindon in League One.

“I was cursing him, it was windy old day and it was freezing,” he said. “I was thinking to myself why couldn’t he have played for Barcelona or Real Madrid. but now he might end up there anyway.

“The fact he was playing in League 1 certainly didn’t put me off. We knew that he was a guy that deserved an opportunity ... He grabbed it with both hands.”

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