Erick Thohir once owned Inter Milan and still has an interest in English club Oxford United, but the abiding football dream of the Indonesian businessman-cum-politician is to take his country back to the World Cup.

Football is followed passionately by tens of millions in the Southeast Asian archipelago but Indonesia's sole World Cup appearance came as the Dutch East Indies in 1938, and the country has rarely threatened a return since independence in 1945.

Thohir, who became chairman of the national soccer association (PSSI) last year, believes that Indonesia should at least be in the frame for a trip to the finals in 2026 with up to nine slots available to Asian teams.