Scotland Aims for World Cup Redemption Against Belarus
World Cup Qualifying: Scotland vs. Belarus
Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow Date: Sunday, 12 October Kick-off: 17:00 BST
Coverage: Watch on BBC Scotland, BBC Two, and BBC iPlayer; listen on BBC Radio Scotland and Radio Nan Gaidheal; follow live text coverage, in-play clips, and join the conversation on the BBC Sport website and app.
Scotland's head coach, Steve Clarke, expressed that achieving World Cup qualification would help "put right" the disappointment of their earlier failure to defeat Ukraine in the play-offs for the 2022 finals. Clarke successfully led the team back to a major men’s tournament for the first time since 1998 by qualifying for Euro 2020 and repeated this success for last summer's Euros.
As he embarks on what is poised to be a record-breaking tenure, Clarke is determined to erase the memory of the 3-1 defeat at Hampden that dashed their hopes of participating in the Qatar tournament. "It’s something we’d like to put right, for sure," he stated ahead of Sunday’s match against Belarus, which will be broadcast live across the BBC.
A victory would significantly boost Scotland's chances of reaching their first men’s World Cup in 28 years. If Greece were to lose in Denmark, it would also secure another playoff spot for Scotland. The team finished second behind the Danes in the previous campaign, having only lost to the group winners, and they are set to face them again this time.
Reflecting on the Ukraine match, Clarke noted, "It was on the back of what I felt was a really good campaign," referring to the game that could have led to a playoff final against Wales. He added, "Everybody forgets that game should have been played in March, when we would have had more players fit. The build-up was very strange, and we lost two or three key players, which affected our performance that night. Disappointment, yes. Something we’d like to put right, yes. But in my experience, you have to accept that there will be negative results and difficult moments. That was certainly one of them because we felt we had done enough in the qualifying campaign."
How the Ukraine Game Unfolded
Ultimately, Ukraine lost the playoff final against Wales a few days later, missing the World Cup themselves. However, their victory at Hampden was a rare moment of joy for a nation in turmoil. The match saw Ukraine deliver a spirited performance, overcoming Scotland with a 3-1 victory to secure a historic World Cup playoff final against Wales.
With their country engulfed in conflict, the Ukrainian team played with remarkable spirit at a sun-drenched Hampden, with Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk scoring either side of half-time. Despite a late goal from Callum McGregor giving Scotland a glimmer of hope, Artem Dovbyk sealed Ukraine's victory with the last kick of the ball.
In the aftermath of the defeat, Clarke remarked, "Scotland must suffer together," acknowledging the emotional toll on himself and the players. The Ukrainian players, adorned in bright yellow, brought a moment of joy to their war-scarred nation as they poured their hearts into the match, striving for an unlikely place at the World Cup finals.
Despite Clarke's composed demeanor, the defeat was palpable among the players, many of whom showed visible regret after coming so close to World Cup qualification.