Scotland Men's Football Team

Image source, PA Media

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

Image source, SNS

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."

Image source, PA Media

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

Image source, PA

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."

Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland in Boston

Image source, PA Media

Ben Gannon-Doak insists the Scotland squad is "the most ready" it has been to succeed on the World Cup stage.

The Bournemouth winger was the star of the show in Scotland's opening win over Haiti, using his electrifying pace to give Steve Clarke's side a dynamic edge.

The 1-0 victory has given the Scots a solid platform, with Morocco on Friday in Boston up next.

A point from the remaining two games will almost certainly be enough to secure Scotland's historic progression from the group stage.

"We know how good the next two opponents are, but we are very confident we can do it," said Gannon-Doak of Morocco and Brazil.

"We have a very experienced squad with very accomplished players. It's probably the most ready we've felt as a squad."

Reflecting on his own individual preparations for facing Haiti, he added: "In the lead-up to the game I have my phone on do not disturb. I don't want to think about the occasion.

"I need to think about it like I'm playing football in the park. I've been playing footie all my life.

"I wasn't nervous, we trained very well so for me, the only time there was nerves was the national anthem. That wasn't nerves about playing, that was butterflies."

Image source, PA Media

Former Premiership midfielders Scott Allan and Andy Halliday expect a change of shape from Scotland in Friday's second World Cup Group C fixture against Morocco.

The Scots opened with a 1-0 win against Haiti, courtesy of John McGinn's deflected goal, while Morocco drew 1-1 with Brazil.

Scotland started in a 4-4-2 against Haiti and former Celtic and Hibernian player Allan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast: "We won't see the 4-4-2 against Morocco.

"You'd expect one of the strikers to drop out. [Substitute Ryan] Christie came in just for his energy out of possession. I think [Lawrence] Shankland will drop out.

"When I watched the Morocco-Brazil game I thought it looked, especially first half, full of energy, legs, pace. If we're just losing possession as we were against Haiti then it could be a really, really tough night.

"Can we just defend really well because we ain't going to have most of the ball? If you aren't going to have the ball against Haiti, you aren't going to have the ball against Morocco."

Ex-Hearts, Motherwell and Rangers player Halliday agrees, saying: "I fully expect a change of shape. Will it be a 4-5-1 or do we go to that five at the back that Steve Clarke's deployed so often?

"We've got five centre-halves at the World Cup, we've got three right-backs at the World Cup, we've got Kieran Tierney, who I think over the past, such is his quality, we would always try and fit him into a team.

"I don't think we can give Morocco the amount of space we gave Haiti and expect to get a positive result at the end of it.

"It's whether we play that extra midfielder to try and get us a little bit more control of the ball when we win it back. Or do we play that extra centre-half to give us that wee bit more cover at the back and allow us to defend our box, which I must say I do think we've done extremely well against Haiti."

Image source, Reuters

Winger Ben Gannon-Doak is a player Scotland have been craving for decades.

That's the verdict of former Motherwell, Hearts and Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday, who praised the 20-year-old winger's excitement factor after Gannon-Doak shone in the 1-0 World Cup win over Haiti.

"He's such an important player for Scotland. In my lifetime, I don't think we've had a player like Gannon-Doak," Halliday told the BBC's Scottish football podcast.

"He gets bums off seats every time he gets the ball, he offers so much excitement in that final third for Scotland.

"Everything doesn't come off all the time for Gannon-Doak, or any winger in world football, but it's that fearlessness, it's that intent. Every time he gets the ball he wants to try and make the difference, get at the full-back and create something.

"He did that extremely well. And you look at our best chances, particularly in the first half, everything came down that right-hand side for Gannon-Doak.

"So for me, you talk about first names on the teamsheet, he's a must play."

The 20-year-old who stole the show on Scotland's World Cup return