FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 : SCOTLAND VS MOROCCO – 10/06/2026 (PHOTO – ISMAEL SAIBARI CELEBRATES)

IT WAS A DYNAMIC MATCH, WITH THE MUCH ADVERTISED (AND ACKNOWLEDGED) PROFICIENCY OF MOROCCO (WHO ARE DEEMED TO BE THE SIXTH BEST CLUB IN THE WORLD) LOOMING LARGE OVER SCOTLAND, BUT THEY TOOK THE CHALLENGE ON FEARLESSLY. THE SKILL OF MOROCCO BECOMING IMMEDIATELY APPARENT, WITH AN EARLY OPENER FROM ISMAEL SAIBARI AT JUST 79 SECS. INTO THE MATCH, WHICH LEFT SCOTLAND SEEMINGLY WARY TO COME OUT OF THEIR DEFENSIVE STANCE. (A BIT LIKE ENGLAND IN THE FIRST-HALF OF THEIR MATCH AGAINST CROATIA THE OTHER DAY.) IT DIDN’T HELP THAT TWO VERY CLUMSY FOULS ON JOHN MCGINN AND SCOTT MCTOMINAY WERE NOT SEEN AS PENALTIES BY A REFEREE WHO IS CONSIDERED TO BE ‘EXTREMELY LENIENT’ BY CONSENSUS – WITH SOME SAYING “MOROCCO HAVE GOT AWAY WITH ONE THERE, BUT WE NEED TO BE BETTER AND CREATE CHANCES FROM OPEN PLAY, NOT RELY ON REFEREES DECISIONS.”

SO, AFTER AN ENERGETIC 90 MINS., AND NO FURTHER GOALS, MOROCCO WON THE MATCH 1 – 0. IT DIDN’T DAMPEN THE SCOTLAND FANS SPIRITS THOUGH, WHO PRIDE THEMSELVES ON THEIR SUPERB BEHAVIOUR, AND ARE LOVED WHEREVER THEY GO AS A GROUP. FANS WERE SEEN HAPPILY SINGING AND PLAYING THEIR BAGPIPES WITH MOROCCAN FANS OUTSIDE THE STADIUM LATER, AND THE BOSTONIAN BARS WERE SOON PACKED FULL OF BAGPIPE PLAYING SCOTTISH FANS AGAIN, WHO HAVE HAPPILY HOSTED THE LITTLE LOVELIES FOR THE PAST WEEK, WITH NO TROUBLE, AND WILL NO DOUBT BE SORRY TO SEE THEM GO!

SCOTLAND NOW GO ON TO PLAY BRAZIL ON WEDNESDAY IN MIAMI, IN A GAME WHICH WILL DETERMINE WHETHER THEY ADVANCE FROM THE GROUP STAGE – FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!

SCOTLAND’S BOSS STEVE CLARKE SPEAKS AFTER THE MATCH

REACTION AFTER SCOTLAND LOSE TO MOROCCO BY A FINE MARGIN