In soccer, infrastructure and investment play a large role in supporting human capital. Great teams need great managers to handle them. And to reach the top level, a good plan and ample time to execute it are mandatory.

Over the weekend, Indonesian soccer fans fell into euphoria when their national team reached the final 16 round of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in history. The Garuda squad made it to the knockout phase as one of the best third-place teams of the group stage. Either Kyrgyzstan or Oman could have dashed Indonesia’s hopes, but they had to settle for a 1-1 draw in their final and decisive match last Thursday and make an early exit.

During the group stage, Indonesia gained three points after a 1-0 win over ASEAN nemesis Vietnam, and two defeats at the hands of former champions Iraq and Japan.

The historic achievement triggered national acclaim, with many expressing hopes the team could march further.

It is not that being proud and supportive is bad, but patience is a virtue.

In less than 24 hours, the jubilation receded as Indonesia was drawn to play southern neighbor Australia, a regular World Cup qualifier, for a ticket to the quarterfinals.

It was a mission impossible for Indonesia, ranked 146^th in the world, to challenge world number 25 and one of the red-hot favorites for the Asian Cup trophy.

Despite the fight, Indonesia had to stay grounded with a 4-0 loss before bidding adieu to the four-yearly tournament held by World Cup host Qatar. As the score shows, Australia remains a class apart from Indonesia, which last year carved out history by winning the Southeast Asian Games soccer gold medal for the first time in 32 years.

Indonesia’s run in this year’s Asian Cup might have been short-lived, but it became a crucial part of the team’s long journey toward the big boys’ league.

Sanctioned by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Asian Cup is the second oldest continental soccer championship in the world after Copa América. The champion will automatically qualify for the FIFA Confederations Cup.

The fact that under current coach Shin Tae-yong Indonesia made it through the last 16 of the tournaments constitutes progress, albeit small, that deserves appreciation. Indonesia at least can learn a lot from the continent’s highest-level competition.

Next, what Indonesia needs is consistency. Reaching the round of 16 should be the team’s minimum target if they qualify for the next AFC Asian Cup.

With State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir at the helm of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI), the focus of the team is to make things work. This includes maintaining South Korean Shin because of the progress the team has demonstrated under his leadership.

Shin, who started his career in the Indonesian national squad in 2020, will have his contract expire by the middle of this year. He has admitted to having received job offers elsewhere, which means he could leave the national team soon.

The 53-year-old manager became the first coach to lead Indonesian national teams in three different age levels from senior, under-23 and under-20, to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup in their respective groups.

In the past, the PSSI tended to look for new managers often, regardless of the achievements of the old ones. Austrian Alfred Riedl, who helped Indonesia reach the ASEAN Football Federation Cup final twice in 2010 and 2016, was one such manager.

New managers mean new plans. A new manager may prefer to start from scratch, and building a dream team takes years.

The Indonesian Asian Cup squad is not the winning team today, but with extra work, they can lift the trophy someday. Certainly, for an emerging nation with the fourth largest population in the world, reaching the round of 16 is not enough.