Scotland’s 28-year wait ends against Haiti as two outsiders open Group C

For 28 years Scotland have watched the World Cup from the outside. That ends in Foxborough, where Steve Clarke’s side begin their campaign against Haiti, a meeting of two nations who waited a long time to get back to the biggest stage. The match kicks off at 6:30am IST on Sunday, an early alarm for Indian fans who want to see how the group’s two outsiders measure up.

Both sit in Group C alongside Brazil and Morocco, and both know that points against each other may decide whether their tournament has any life beyond the group. For Scotland it is a first World Cup since 1998. For Haiti it is a first since 1974, only the second appearance in their history.

Scotland carry the weight of history

Clarke has built a settled, hard-working side around captain Andy Robertson, with Scott McTominay, John McGinn and Lewis Ferguson giving the midfield bite and goals. Scotland arrive in form, having beaten Curacao 4-1 and Bolivia 4-0 in their warm-ups, and they are ranked 42nd in the world, comfortably above their opponents.

The preparation has not been entirely smooth. Billy Gilmour misses the tournament through injury, with Tyler Fletcher called in as cover, and forward Ché Adams is a doubt for the opener. There is also the small matter of Scotland’s record: in eight previous World Cups they have never made it out of the group stage, and the draw has handed them Brazil and Morocco again, the same two heavyweights they faced in France in 1998. A win over Haiti is the obvious place to start rewriting that story.

Haiti arrive with nothing to lose

Haiti are ranked 83rd and will not mind being written off. Sebastien Migne’s team lost only two of their ten qualifiers to reach the United States, and the French coach has assembled a largely diaspora squad with real European pedigree. Wilson Isidor is coming off a strong season at Sunderland, Carlens Arcus has impressed in Ligue 1, and Duckens Nazon, whose goals carried Haiti through qualifying, leads the line, with the experienced Johny Placide behind them in goal.

Their build-up offered both encouragement and a warning, a 4-0 win over New Zealand followed by a 2-1 loss to Peru. Against a physically strong Scotland, the Grenadiers will need their forwards to take whatever chances come.

What to watch

This is the kind of fixture that looks tight on paper and can swing on one moment. Scotland have the better players and the steadier defence, and Robertson’s experience could be decisive in the closing stages. Haiti have the freedom of a team nobody expects anything from, which at a World Cup can be dangerous. For a neutral tuning in early on Sunday morning, two sides desperate to make their long-awaited return count should make for a charged opening night.

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