World Cup
Ahead of Morocco Match: Scotland’s Supporters, ‘Thirsty’ Tartan Army Drinks Boston Bars to the Brink
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Boston’s bars are bracing for another surge of thirsty Scotland supporters ahead of their team’s World Cup clash against Morocco after the famed Tartan Army nearly drank some establishments dry during the opening weekend of the tournament.
According toa Reuters report, the Scottish fans, attending their country’s first World Cup since 1998, descended on the Massachusetts city in their tens of thousands and celebrated Scotland’s 1-0 victory over Haiti on Saturday with a drinking spree that caught many bar owners off guard.
“I’ve been in this business for over 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Billy DeCain, general manager of the Sam Adams Tap Room in downtown Boston.
The unprecedented demand forced the bar to arrange emergency deliveries from a nearby Sam Adams brewery after beer supplies dwindled rapidly during the weekend festivities.
“We just about made it through. If we didn’t have those emergency deliveries, it would have been a tall task,” DeCain said on Wednesday as Scottish supporters gathered for pre-match drinks ahead of Friday’s encounter with Morocco.
Both of Scotland’s opening Group matches are being played at the New England Patriots’ stadium in Foxborough, a suburb of Boston, turning the city into a temporary home for the travelling fans.
DeCain compared the excitement among Scots to the emotions Americans would experience if their favourite National Football League team reached the Super Bowl for the first time.
“You’re on adrenaline all weekend, and you could definitely see that,” he said. “Do they ever sleep? Do they ever get tired? They were back at it the next day at 11 a.m.”
The colourful presence of the Tartan Army has become one of the early highlights of the World Cup in Boston. Thousands of fans marched through the city on Sunday, accompanied by massed bagpipes, before making their way to Fenway Park, the historic home of baseball’s Boston Red Sox.
Their good-natured celebrations have won widespread admiration from local residents and businesses.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu praised the visitors for their passion and enthusiasm, saying the city’s sports-loving culture had formed an instant bond with the Scottish fans.
“We count ourselves as among the most passionate and crazy sports fans anywhere. So, to see that same level of commitment and dedication, that brings true respect,” Wu told Reuters while wearing a Scotland jersey on the steps of Boston City Hall.
“The Scottish fans are the absolute best. They have been incredibly warm, they’ve been supporting our businesses, they have been getting to know our community and treating Boston as if it were another home away from home for them,” she added.
Wu said she hoped the Tartan Army would continue returning to Boston long after the World Cup.
After Friday’s meeting with Morocco, Scotland will travel to Miami for a blockbuster clash against Brazil, while Boston prepares for another influx of overseas supporters when England’s fans arrive ahead of their World Cup match against Ghana in Foxborough next Tuesday.
For local businesses, however, the immediate priority remains ensuring that beer supplies are sufficient to cope with Scotland’s famously festive supporters as the World Cup party continues.
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World Cup
Morocco Seek to Rekindle 1998 Magic Against Scotland as Hakimi Eyes African World Cup Record
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Morocco will look to draw inspiration from one of the most memorable victories in their FIFA World Cup history when they face Scotland in a crucial Group C encounter at Boston Stadium on Thursday.
The Atlas Lions head into the match buoyed by their impressive 1-1 draw with five-time champions Brazil in their opening fixture, a result that reinforced Morocco’s growing reputation as one of the most formidable teams on the global stage.
Mohamed Ouahbi’s side will also take confidence from history. The only previous World Cup meeting between the two nations came at France 1998, when Morocco swept Scotland aside 3-0 in Saint-Étienne.
The emphatic victory remains Morocco’s biggest-ever win at the FIFA World Cup.
Morocco announced their intentions in the tournament opener against Brazil when Ismael Saibari stunned the South American giants with a 21st-minute strike. The goal was historic, marking the Atlas Lions’ first-ever World Cup goal against a South American opponent.
Although Brazil eventually fought back to earn a draw, Morocco emerged from the contest with renewed belief ahead of the clash with the Scots.
Scotland arrive in Boston as Group C leaders after edging Haiti 1-0 thanks to a deflected effort from captain John McGinn. The Aston Villa midfielder’s goal not only secured Scotland’s first victory in a World Cup opening match since 1982 but also made him, at 31 years and 238 days, the oldest Scottish player to score at football’s biggest tournament.
Despite Scotland’s strong recent form, Morocco will be encouraged by their own record against European opposition on the World Cup stage. The North Africans have lost only one of their last six group-stage World Cup matches against European teams, winning two and drawing three.
The Atlas Lions have also suffered just two defeats in their last nine World Cup matches, underlining the consistency that has made them one of Africa’s leading representatives in recent years.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
South Africa have suffered a setback in their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign after midfielder Themba Zwane was handed a three-match suspension by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee following his sending-off in the tournament opener against Mexico.
FIFA announced on Thursday that Zwane was sanctioned for a breach of Article 14 paragraph 1(e) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code after receiving a direct red card during South Africa’s Group A match against Mexico at Mexico City Stadium on June 11.
The suspension means the experienced South African international will miss three World Cup matches, dealing a significant blow to Bafana Bafana’s hopes of progressing from the group stage.
Zwane was dismissed during South Africa’s 2-0 defeat to tournament hosts Mexico, a result that left Hugo Broos’ side searching for points in their remaining group fixtures against the Czech Republic and South Korea.
With the three-match ban covering more than the remainder of the group phase, Zwane could miss the rest of South Africa’s World Cup campaign unless the team advances deep enough into the knockout rounds for him to become eligible to return.
FIFA noted that the decision remains subject to appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
The suspension comes as South Africa prepare for their crucial Group A encounter against the Czech Republic, knowing that any hopes of reaching the knockout stage may now have to be achieved without one of their most influential players.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi is on the verge of making African football history when the Atlas Lions face Scotland in a pivotal FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C clash at Boston Stadium.
The Paris Saint-Germain defender, who is the reigning African Footballer of the Year, is expected to earn his 12th World Cup appearance, a milestone that would see him become the African player with the most appearances in the history of football’s biggest tournament.
Hakimi currently shares the record of 11 World Cup matches with Cameroonian great François Omam-Biyik and Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan. A place in Morocco’s starting lineup against Scotland would move the 27-year-old into sole possession of the record.
The achievement would be another landmark in a career that has already established Hakimi as one of Africa’s most accomplished footballers. Since making his World Cup debut in Russia in 2018, the marauding full-back has been a key figure in Morocco’s rise on the global stage.
His performances were instrumental in Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals at Qatar 2022, the deepest-ever World Cup journey by an African nation. Four years later, Hakimi remains the heartbeat of the Atlas Lions as they seek another memorable campaign in North America.
The record attempt comes at a crucial moment for Morocco, who opened their Group C campaign with an impressive 1-1 draw against five-time champions Brazil. The result demonstrated once again that the North Africans are capable of competing with the world’s elite.
Victory over Scotland would significantly boost Morocco’s chances of reaching the knockout rounds and strengthen hopes of matching—or even surpassing—the achievements that have transformed the Atlas Lions into one of the most respected teams in international football.
Moroccan supporters will also draw confidence from history. The only previous World Cup meeting between Morocco and Scotland ended in a resounding 3-0 victory for the North Africans at France 1998, a result that remains Morocco’s biggest winning margin at the tournament.
Nearly three decades later, another positive result against the Scots would not only bring Morocco closer to the last 32 but also provide the perfect backdrop for Hakimi to claim a place of his own in African football history.
For the Atlas Lions captain, the occasion offers a chance to add yet another chapter to an already remarkable World Cup legacy; for Morocco, it is an opportunity to continue building on a story that has inspired a continent.
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