Scotland’s head coach, Steve Clarke, has issued a warning to his team regarding their upcoming match against Morocco, asserting that the current Moroccan squad is even stronger than the one that reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
Scotland began their tournament campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Haiti, just hours after Morocco showcased their strength in a 1-1 draw against Brazil. When asked if Morocco would present as significant a challenge as Brazil did, Clarke responded with a confident, “We are under no illusion about the size of the task,”
“I feel Morocco are a really, really good side. They reached the last four of the last World Cup and I have a feeling this Morocco team is slightly better than that, so that gives you an idea of the task ahead. They have power, they have pace, they have little bits of skill that can open up a game. For me they are the real deal, a top side. We will have to be at our very best to compete. “It is a big challenge for us. We give them a lot of respect. We expect they will probably have more of the ball, more possession. We have to make sure that when we have the ball we can be a threat to Morocco.” Clarke emphasized. “Every system that we have ever played, we have put a lot of work into,”
Recognizing the difficulty of the challenge, Clarke added, “I have shown over my time as head coach that we can play different systems. It is something that we have always wanted to expand on, more systems, different personnel for different games. “Sometimes the Scottish psyche and mentality is that we are a little more comfortable when we are the underdog. We were the favourites against Haiti and found the game a struggle, but we managed to win. This time we are the underdogs and sometimes Scotland prefer it that way.”
In preparation, Clarke previously utilized a back three during a friendly against Côte d’Ivoire in March, which might hint at his tactical approach for the match against Morocco. It is nearly certain that Scotland will not revert to the 4-4-2 formation they employed against Haiti. “You just have to play the game,” remarked Clarke. “The first thing is to try and win, if you can’t win then don’t lose. Permutations and whatever else is for you guys [the media] and all the punters to think about, not for us. “The players feel good about themselves. They wanted to win a game at a major tournament and have done that. Now they want the next step, which is to get what we need out of the next two games to make a little bit of history for Scotland. The training was electric today. We feel good.”
Clarke also noted the psychological aspect of being the underdog. “In among all the good news that has come out the World Cup for Scotland, that is obviously very sad for his family; his daughters, his grandchildren,”
Unless an incredibly unlikely series of results occurs, a single point in the match is likely to secure Scotland’s advancement to the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time in history. They could still progress with three points, although this would introduce the need to consider goal difference. Clarke, however, is focused on the game itself rather than potential outcomes. “My thoughts and condolences are with his family.” the 62-year-old stated. “The first thing is to try and win; if you can’t win, then don’t lose. Permutations and whatever else is for you guys [the media] and all the punters to think about, not for us.”
“The players feel good about themselves. They wanted to win a game at a major tournament and have done that. Now they want the next step, which is to get what we need out of the next two games to make a little bit of history for Scotland. The training was electric today. We feel good.”
During his pre-match media engagements, Clarke took a moment to express his condolences to the family of Donny Strathie, a 76-year-old Scotland supporter who passed away after the Haiti match. “In among all the good news that has come out the World Cup for Scotland, that is obviously very sad for his family; his daughters, his grandchildren,” Clarke said. “My thoughts and condolences are with his family.”
