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BUENOS AIRES, May 24 (Reuters) - Argentina coach Alfio Basile said he was proud of the respect and admiration his team had earned but his priority was to win the World Cup.
"Argentina's target is to win the World Cup, that's the end of the matter," he said in an interview with Radio Nacional.
"Argentina has amazing prestige, the team is admired all around the world and that makes us very proud. But we want to win the World Cup."
Argentina, often criticised in the past for rough play and gamesmanship, have changed their reputation completely in the last decade and are now praised for their stylish, attacking football.
Many critics prefer their play to the more physical approach that has been adopted by neighbours and arch-rivals Brazil.
However, Argentina have suffered a dip in terms of results in recent years.
They have not won a major tournament since the 1993 Copa America in Ecuador and have not progressed beyond the World Cup quarter-finals since 1990.
In that period, Brazil have won the World Cup twice and the Copa America four times.
RIQUELME PRAISED
Basile heaped praise on mercurial playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, who has helped Boca Juniors reach the semi-finals of the Libertadores Cup.
"Riquelme is a phenomenon," he said in the interview broadcast on Friday night. "He was not fully fit but he created seven goalscoring chances," he added, referring to Riquelme's performance in the 3-0 win at Mexico's Atlas on Wednesday.
"That's why he's the national team's conductor, a very important player for my team. There's nobody like Riquelme."
Basile also singled out captain Javier Zanetti but said he was not sure if the 34-year-old Inter Milan player, who has won a record 118 caps, would reach the 2010 World Cup.
"He has the physique of a 20-year-old."
"Apparently, he can make it but nobody knows how he's going to be doing in two years' time. That's why I'm always looking at alternatives," he said.
