Scotland will attempt to win their first World Cup finals game since 1990 when they take on Haiti in their opening encounter.
Having not featured at a World Cup finals since 1998, when they claimed just a single point from three games, Scotland head into a game in which they are clear favourites seeking to end a 36-year drought, with a 2-1 win over Sweden at Italia 90 marking the last time they tasted victory on this stage.
A win by a comfortable margin would put Scotland in a strong position to qualify for the knockout rounds for the first time, with the expansion and change in format boosting their hopes of progressing as one of the best third-placed teams.
Scotland should go into the game in high spirits, having followed a 3-1 friendly win over 10-man Curacao with a 4-0 defeat of Bolivia in their final warm-up.
Yet Steve Clarke will be keen for his side to avoid complacency, as a failure to collect all three points in this game would put Scotland in a very difficult position ahead of subsequent Group C games with Morocco and Brazil.
Haiti are making only their second appearance at the World Cup finals, having lost all three games in the group stage back in 1974.
The Grenadiers have understandably been given little hope of progressing from the group. However, they came through a difficult group in the third round of CONCACAF qualification to reach the finals, finishing top ahead of Honduras and World Cup regulars Costa Rica to book their place.
While their form in the lead up to the tournament has been uneven, Haiti did claim a 4-0 win over New Zealand, the lowest-ranked nation in the competition, in one of their warm-up games.
And winger Derrick Etienne believes a lack of pressure on Haiti could be to their benefit.
“We’re trying to do something that’s never been done before,” Etienne said. “We understand it’s a hard task, but we have a lot of belief in ourselves. We don’t really have anything to lose, we have everything to gain, so that’s what we’re going to try to do.I think we delivered a message when we beat New Zealand in the friendly recently and the support we received was incredible. The country does so well in supporting the team
“I don’t think there’s any nerves in the group, honestly. A lot of people didn’t expect us to get here, but this is what we wanted, and we got it.
“We’re just excited to put Haiti back on the map and show the people that Haiti is more than just poverty and what’s going on there. We don’t have anything to lose.
“Everyone is expecting us to be last. We weren’t even expected to get to the World Cup, so we are just going to go and play the best football that we can, and God controls everything. So whatever results we get, we get. We’ll try our best and we’ll do everything we can to get points.”
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Team news for Haiti v Scotland
Haiti have no fitness concerns heading into the game, but Scotland’s star midfielder Scott McTominay is a doubt through illness. Scott McKenna (knock) could also miss out.
Predicted line-ups for Haiti v Scotland
Haiti: Placide; Arcus, Ade, Delcroix, Experience; Deedson, Jean Jacques, Bellegarde, Providence; Isidor, Nazon
Scotland: Gunn; Hickey, Hanley, Souttar, Robertson; Doak, McTominay, Ferguson, McGinn; Adams, Shankland
Where to watch Haiti v Scotland: TV and online streams
Haiti v Scotland kicks off at 2:00am UK time on Sunday morning. It will be broadcast on BBC One and will also be available to watch on iPlayer and via the BBC Sport website.
Stats for Haiti v Scotland
- Haiti and Scotland have never previously faced each other.
- Scotland have won four of their last five competitive internationals.
- Both teams have found the net in each of the last four competitive Scotland games.
- Lawrence Shankland has scored four goals in his last three games for Scotland, having failed to score in his previous six appearances.
- Haiti’s record goalscorer Duckens Nazon scored six times in qualifying for the World Cup. He has 44 goals in total for his country.
- Sebastien Migne’s side conceded three goals in four different games in qualifying, including a 3-1 defeat to Barbados and a 5-1 loss to Curacao.
- Having won his first cap in March, Haiti’s Wilson Isidor has scored in two of his four appearances for his country.
Prediction for Haiti v Scotland
Scotland fans will be fearful of them falling victim to the kind of upset they have suffered in years gone by at previous World Cup appearances. However, their performances in recent friendlies should raised confidence. Given the attacking quality Scotland have displayed of late, it’s difficult to see Clarke’s men failing to get the job done.
Prediction: Haiti 1-3 Scotland
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