Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
Scotland has never managed to get past the group stage at a World Cup or European Championship in 12 previous attempts, but they could break that jinx after earning a hard-fought 1-0 win over Haiti in their Group C match on Saturday.
When John McGinn rifled in the winner, courtesy of two deflections in the first half, he gave Scotland their first World Cup victory in 36 years in their first appearance at the tournament since 1998.
The opening win also put them in the driving seat in Group C, with Morocco having drawn 1-1 with five-time champions Brazil earlier on Saturday. Brazil and Morocco were also in Scotland’s group in 1998.
Scotland hold the unwanted record of having competed in more European Championships and World Cups than any other nation without ever progressing beyond the group stage.
Steve Clarke’s side were by no means dominant on Saturday, with Haiti threatening through their pace, but they did enough to secure their first tournament-opening victory under the coach after opening defeats at Euro 2021 and Euro 2024.
