Australia reached the last 16 at the 2006 finals in Germany where they were knocked out by eventual champions Italy following a controversial injury-time penalty.
"We certainly want to achieve at least what we achieved last time and go beyond that," Buckley told the Australian Associated Press on Thursday.
"If we don't aspire to that I think people should be critical of us."
He also ruled out a caretaker coach for the Asian Cup finals in January should Dutchman Pim Verbeek step aside as widely speculated after the June 11-July 11 World Cup in South Africa.
"If Pim is not the coach beyond the World Cup our first priority is to get someone in place who would take us to the Asia Cup and take us to the (2014) World Cup," said Buckley.
"We don't to get into caretaker situations. It is a global market. You've got to look at who is available when they are available."
Buckley also confirmed the Australians would play one more World Cup warm up in South Africa in addition to the June 5 match against the United States announced earlier this week.
Australia face Germany in their opening Group D match in Durban on June 13. Serbia and Ghana are also in the group.
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