Steve Clarke has issued a caution to Scotland, indicating that the Moroccan team they will compete against on Friday is stronger than the squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
Scotland began their tournament with a narrow 1-0 victory over Haiti, shortly after Morocco showcased their strength in a 1-1 draw with Brazil. When asked about Morocco’s potential threat compared to Brazil’s, Clarke affirmed with an emphatic “We are under no illusion about the size of the task,”
Clarke remarked, “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.”
He acknowledged the challenge, stating, “Every system that we have ever played, we have put a lot of work into,”
Clarke’s strategy may involve a back three, as evidenced during Scotland’s friendly against Côte d’Ivoire in March, indicating a departure from the 4-4-2 alignment used against Haiti. He explained, “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.”
He noted the psychological aspect of being the underdog, saying, “You just have to play the game,”
Clarke suggested that barring an unexpected series of outcomes, a single point would likely secure Scotland’s place in the tournament knockout rounds for the first time. He mentioned, “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.”
He expressed confidence in his players, stating, “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,”
Additionally, Clarke took a moment during the pre-match media session to express condolences to the family of Donny Strathie, a 76-year-old Scotland supporter who passed away after the Haiti match. He said, “My thoughts and condolences are with his family.”
