Scotland marked their return to the FIFA World Cup after a 28-year absence with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Haiti, thanks to a first-half goal from John McGinn.
The Aston Villa midfielder scored the decisive strike as Steve Clarke’s men secured all three points in their Group C opener, moving to the top of the standings after Brazil and Morocco settled for a 1-1 draw earlier on Saturday.
Despite claiming victory, Scotland were forced to dig deep against a spirited Haitian side that dominated large stretches of the second half and came close to snatching a late equaliser.
The Scots made a nervous start and squandered an early chance when Scott McTominay headed over from close range. Haiti also looked threatening going forward but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities despite finding promising attacking positions.
Scotland eventually broke the deadlock through a swift attacking move. Che Adams controlled a long ball before releasing Ben Doak down the right flank. The winger’s dangerous cross caused problems for Haitian goalkeeper Jonny Placide, allowing McGinn to pounce and fire home via a deflection.
McTominay nearly doubled Scotland’s advantage before the break, but his effort rattled the woodwork as the Europeans sought a more comfortable lead.
Haiti emerged stronger after halftime and controlled much of the possession. Frantzdy Pierrot was at the heart of their attacking efforts but failed to convert several promising opportunities as Scotland increasingly relied on disciplined defending to protect their narrow advantage.
The closing stages were tense for the Scots. Angus Gunn produced a crucial save to deny Pierrot deep into stoppage time, while substitute Kenny McLean escaped a potential red card after catching Josue Casimir with a high boot. Haiti, however, could not make the most of the resulting free-kick, and Scotland held firm to secure a valuable victory.
The result strengthens Scotland’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage and leaves them top of Group C ahead of a daunting clash against Brazil in Miami, as the Tartan Army celebrated a winning return to football’s biggest tournament.
