Scotland Men's Football Team

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Scotland head coach Steve Clarke is demanding better from his team with the ball when they face Morocco on Friday.

Despite beating Haiti in their opener, Scotland had less than half of possession against a side ranked well below them.

Clarke says that part of the team's game will have to imrpve against the 2022 semi-finalists.

"We didn't create enough chances against Haiti," he said. "Hopefully we can do that against a really good Moroccan side.

"Sometimes when you play against a team, and I'm pretty sure that Morocco will dominate the ball, but sometimes if you can find the right moments to break and get out and get at them, then you can cause them problems as well.

"Different Scotland, hopefully different in possession and the same resilience and determination in defence."

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After scoring the goal against Haiti which gave Scotland their first World Cup win since 1990, John McGinn says the squad are not getting ahead of themselves as they meet Morocco on Friday.

The Aston Villa midfielder says the hurt of underperforming at Euro 2024 still hurts the squad, and their focus is on not repeating those performances in Garmany.

Scotland are aiming to reach the knockout stages at a major finals for the first time.

"There is a business feel in the camp," McGinn said.

"We were gutted after Germany [Euro 2024]. I know the fans had a great experience, just being back at a major tournament with fans.

"But we left with an emptiness and feeling of could we have done x, y or z differently.

"What we did now by winning the [qualifying] group was we had time to prepare properly and in the best possible way.

"We've left no stone unturned and the staff have been first class. The players are focussed on doing the job in hand.

"If we do achieve something special we will celebrate it, but until that is achieved we will purely be on business here."

Scotland players Findlay Curtis and Craig Gordon watch some of the team's performance at the 1998 World Cup in France.

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland in Charlotte

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Gary Dicker describes his former Kilmarnock boss Steve Clarke as a "clever manager" and isn't surprised by what he's achieved with the Scotland national side.

Dicker played under Clarke at Rugby Park for two seasons and is now assistant coach at Charlotte FC. The pair's paths have crossed again with the Scotland squad using the Major League Soccer outfit's training facilities during the World Cup.

"He's a clever manager," Dicker told BBC Scotland. "He knows how to build a squad and what positions he needs and what characters he needs in the squad.

"I had a good chat with him last week. He's been chilled, he's relaxed. That's one of his main qualities. He brings that calmness to the group.

"I was delighted to see them get the win [against Haiti]. I hope they stay in the tournament as long as they can."

Dicker is just starting out his own coaching career, joining Charlotte about a year ago, and admits Clarke is someone he's lent on for advice and guidance.

"When I moved here I did ring him," Dicker explained. "He's someone with great experience in the game. He's done it all as a player and as a coach now.

"I'm delighted for him and it doesn't surprise me how well he's done. He's created a real club environment. You can see the success they've had.

"He's adapted. He's not with the players every day like he is at a club team. You've got to cover a lot of stuff, get to know people a lot quicker, understand what the group needs. He's brilliant at that.

"He's not as grumpy as he looks, trust me. That's just his persona. But to see him earlier on in the week, he was proper excited about being here and doing well and getting off to a good start. So, to see them win and the reaction after it, it's the most animated I've seen him on the sideline.

"But after the game, you could see the focus was ready for the next game. He'll enjoy the moment - but you've got to move on quickly."

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Lyndon Dykes says Scotland will be up against "world class" players when they face Morocco in their second match in World Cup Group C.

The Scots opened with a 1-0 win over Haiti after Morocco had drawn 1-1 with Brazil.

Scotland will once again play in Boston when they take on Mohamed Ouahbi's side on Friday (23:00 BST).

"They're a good team," said Dykes. "They have world class players and they are dangerous.

"We have to be at our best as a team to make sure we get something out of the game.

"It's going to be hotter than it was the other night but we've been out training for a long time now and we're used to it. You've got the water breaks.

"We want to win every game. That's the main aim for everyone. We've got three games and we've won one of them but we've got another two to go."

Dykes replaced Che Adams for the final 15 minutes of the win over Haiti and fellow striker Lawrence Shankland made way after 83 minutes.

"Different games have different opposition and have different outcomes to the way we need to play, Dykes commented.

"I'm hoping I do play but whatever that is, it is what it is.

"We all bring different qualities, individually as players. My strength's getting up the pitch and being that outlet."

Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland

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It's Tuesday, 16 June 2026.

If we rewind 36 years to 16 June 1990 and the Italian city of Genoa, Stuart McCall was busy scoring to help Scotland secure a 2-1 win over Sweden.

The former midfielder jokes that he "was always deadly from a yard out" and ultimately that victory wasn't enough to ensure Scotland progressed to the knock-out stage, but up until this weekend, it was their last win at a World Cup finals.

Now the 62 year-old is assistant to Paul Heckingbottom at Preston North End, but he's also enjoying absorbing all the action from the United States, Canada and Mexico.

As a former Motherwell manager, he's been glad to see the Steelmen's Elijah Just scoring a brace for New Zealand in their 2-2 draw with Iran, but chiefly he's delighted that Scotland now have a more up-to-date World Cup win to look back on, albeit a nervy 1-0 triumph over Haiti.

"If you look at the celebrations that have been going on since the game, if we'd played brilliant football and created 20 chances but drawn 1-1, there wouldn't be the feeling there is going about the country at the moment," McCall told Radio Scotland Breakfast.

Next up, it's Morocco in Boston on Friday and McCall, who won 40 caps between 1990 and 1998, is quietly confident.

"I've seen people say [head coach] Steve Clarke might go to a back five," he said.

"I don't see that. You need to get at least a bit of creative spark on the park, so I think Ben Gannon-Doak will start.

"I would imagine they'll take Lawrence Shankland out and add another midfielder, whether that's Ryan Christie or Kenny McLean, who could sit in with Lewis Ferguson and let Scott McTominay play as a number 10 a bit further forward.

"It's going to be a difficult game, but the expectation levels are not the same as they were against Haiti. Against Morocco, we need a point. You can never set out to get a point, but that would be enough."

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Former Scotland midfielder Graeme Souness reckons the Tartan Army's celebrations at the World Cup will do wonders for the tourism industry.

Scotland fans have earned praise for the noise they generated both at Saturday's Group C opener against Haiti and at a Boston Red Sox baseball game at Fenway Park the following day, as well as around the host city.

"What an advert for Scotland - and for the Scottish Tourist Board," Souness said on BBC One's Breakfast.

"How many people will want to visit after seeing how they celebrate and being in their company. They are doing the country proud.

"They are there to celebrate and right now the team are giving them something to shout about."

Souness, who played at three World Cup tournaments, admitted "we weren't fabulous" in the 1-0 win over Haiti.

"But we got the job done and that means, unless it is an absolute disaster from hereon in, they will qualify for the next stages as one of the best third places," he said.

"It is a scruffy old goal, but at the end of the day, every goal counts and the supporters won't care about that - and they are covering themselves in glory."

Souness remembers the difficulty of playing Brazil in the heat of Seville in 1992.

"The problem when you play in heat is, if you keep giving the ball away, sooner or later someone's going to punish you," he added.

"And I just felt, in the second half, when we were holding on to that lead, we should have been better at that. Don't give the ball away. Good players don't.

"They have another game [against Morocco] in Boston, so it's still going to be sticky and humid and then they've got Brazil down in Miami on the 24th.

"We are a small nation, but the new format means you have a better chance to qualify and we've taken that chance.

"In that play off against Denmark, they were fantastic, so they deserve to be there."

Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston

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Scotland assistant Steven Naismith believes Scotland can use some home comforts to their advantage as they get set to return to the Boston Stadium on Friday.

The Scots defeafeat Haiti 1-0 in their World Cup opener, while Morocco provide the next test there in game two.

"The biggest learning is the surroundings that's the positive of having two games in the same city and the same stadium," said Naismith.

"Good connection between the fans and the players, pitch was good. We knew the fans would be there in their numbers. It's about harnessing that.

"There was a nervous energy for the first game but we stood up to the challenge.

"It wasn't our best performance, Bolivia the week before was better but one game, one win."