On This Day – 23rd June
Scotland lost 3-0 to Morocco at the World Cup on this day back in 1998.
Scotland’s World Cup song for France ’98 was called ‘Don’t Come Home Too Soon’ by Del Amitri. This was because France ’98 was their eighth World Cup and they had never gone beyond the group stages in the previous seven.
Holders Brazil were Scotland’s first opponents in the opening game of the tournament at the new Stade de France. They were desperately unlucky not to get anything from the game as an unlucky deflection off defender Tom Boyd gave Brazil the narrowest of 2-1 wins.
Craig Burley scored to give Scotland a draw against Norway in Bordeaux x days later. Brazil beat Morocco in the other group game.
The Scots weren’t out just yet but needed results to go their way. They needed to beat Morocco and hope that holders Brazil would beat Norway.
Two goals from Salaheddine Bassir and a goal from Hadda Kamatcho sealed Scotland’s fate but they wouldn’t have qualified even if they had won. Norway scored a last-minute winner against Brazil to secure their place in the Second Round, pipping Morocco to second place by a single point.
Former Scotland international Gordon Strachan was manager of Coventry City at the time and must have been watching his countrymen st the World Cup. He promptly went out after the tournament was over and signed Youssef Chippo and Mustafa Hadji, two of Morocco’s stars from the tournament!
The defeat to Morocco remains their last World Cup match to date. The 1998 squad clearly didn’t listen to Del Amitri and came home too soon!
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