BOSTON: Scotland, roared on by their Tartan Army of travelling fans, savoured their first World Cup win in 36 years on Saturday when they edged past Haiti 1-0 thanks to a first-half strike by John McGinn.
The Scots – needing three points against a side ranked among the minnows of the game before facing tougher opposition in the shape of Brazil and Morocco in their other Group C games – went ahead in the 28th minute.
A close-range effort by Che Adams was saved by Johny Placide only for the ball to fall to McGinn whose shot was deflected over the Haiti goalkeeper and into the net.
Eleven minutes earlier, Scott McTominay had smacked a shot against a post and, although Haiti showed glimpses of their electric pace and put pressure on Scotland in the closing stages, Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn barely had a save to make.
The win puts Steve Clarke’s men top of Group C ahead of five-times world champions Brazil and 2022 semi-finalists Morocco who drew 1-1 earlier on Saturday.
Under Fifa’s expanded tournament format, three points and a decent goal difference at the end of the group stage would offer a good chance of qualifying for the knockout stage of the competition, something that has eluded Scotland in all of their previous eight World Cups.
The Scottish supporters made the most of their return to the global stage after an absence of 28 years, giving a lung-busting rendition of “The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond” before kickoff as well as their familiar tribute song for McGinn.
He repaid the compliment with his goal, less than a month after he lifted the Europa League trophy as captain of England’s Aston Villa, while winger Ben Gannon-Doak threatened with his pace.
Haiti – playing at their first World Cup since 1974 – were bolstered by the inclusion of two players with experience of playing in the English Premier League – Jean-Ricner Bellegarde of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor.
But they had only a few glimpses of an equaliser. In the 38th minute, the ball fell to Ruben Providence a few yards out but he was dispossessed by Aaron Hickey. Frantzdy Pierrot headed narrowly wide in the 85th minute and had another chance in the dying minutes but Scotland clung on for their win.
The Scots – whose last win at the World Cup was a 2-1 defeat of Sweden in 1990 – next meet Morocco in Boston while Haiti face Brazil in Philadelphia with both games taking place on Friday.
