FT: Haiti 0-1 Scotland
Scotland claimed their first FIFA World Cup victory since 1990 after a deflected first-half goal from John McGinn secured a 1-0 win over Haiti in Group C on Saturday.
McGinn scored the decisive goal in the 28th minute when his shot took a double deflection before finding the back of the net. It was Scotland’s first World Cup goal since 1998 and proved enough to send them top of Group C.
Scotland had started brightly and came close earlier when Scott McTominay struck the post. Ben Gannon-Doak was also a constant threat on the right wing, using his pace and direct running to trouble Haiti’s defence.
Haiti, making their first World Cup appearance since 1974, showed speed and energy in attack but struggled to turn promising moments into clear chances. Their lack of clinical finishing allowed Scotland to protect their narrow lead.
McGinn admitted his goal was not the cleanest of finishes but said its importance mattered more than the manner in which it came.
“It wasn’t my best of goals, but who cares?” McGinn said. “When it hit the back of the net, you could just see the Scotland fans in the stadium going wild. I don’t think it has really sunk in yet, but it is a great feeling.”
Gannon-Doak, who played a key role in the build-up to the goal, described the match as the biggest moment of his career.
“Number one,” he said. “A World Cup debut in the United States — it can’t get any better than that, especially playing for Scotland. Our fans were brilliant.”
Despite the victory, McGinn said Scotland still had room to improve, particularly in controlling matches and making better use of possession in the closing stages.
“The good thing for us is we have got more gears to go up,” he said. “Haiti score a lot of goals and are dangerous up front, so the crucial thing tonight was that we kept a clean sheet.”
The result gives Scotland a strong start in Group C ahead of tougher fixtures against Morocco and Brazil. Haiti, meanwhile, will need to improve their finishing if they are to recover from the narrow defeat.
Scotland will face Morocco in their next group match on Friday, while Haiti will take on Brazil in their second fixture.
