Steve Clarke says Scotland had to win against Haiti to get their World Cup campaign off to a strong start.
A solitary goal from John McGinn in the first half was enough to give Scotland a win they so craved, with tough tests upcoming against Morocco and Brazil.
The three points may prove to be enough for qualification, and with Brazil and Morocco unable to break each other down, Scotland knew a win would sit them atop the table.
Clarke has qualified for three tournaments in a row with Scotland, but has yet to win a group game until Sunday night.
Group C
| Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 | W |
| Morocco | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | D |
| Brazil | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | D |
| Haiti | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 | L |
Updated 14 Jun 2026, 04:03
And the boss knows it wasn’t pretty, but that Scotland got the job done.
He said: “I said to the captain there, Andy Robertson, it’s about time you won a game in the group stage. Probably put the supporters through it a little bit.
“Everyone said it was a must-win game, and we won the game.
“This is what this team is all about. If teams let them play, they can play, but if they have to dig in and show that character and that resilience, that’s what they do as well.
“Defensively outstanding, we could have been a bit better with the ball, but who cares, we won.”
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