Scotland's nerves were tested but ultimately settled as John McGinn's solitary goal delivered a 1-0 victory over Haiti in their opening FIFA World Cup fixture — the nation's first World Cup win in 36 years and only their fifth triumph at the tournament overall.

Steve Clarke's side now sit at the top of Group C, a position that would have seemed almost unthinkable to a fanbase conditioned by decades of near-misses. Yet even in the glow of a famous win, the questions are already mounting about what comes next.

A win is a win

Former Scotland forward James McFadden was quick to frame the result in its proper context. "The performance wasn't dazzling, but it's a World Cup victory," he said. "Scotland don't win a lot of games at the World Cup. In fact, Scotland don't play at many World Cups, so I think it's huge."

McFadden added that the result was nothing short of essential. "It was a must-win in terms of hopes and aspirations of getting out of the group. It doesn't matter how we got it done, we got the job done and that's all that matters."

Scotland's opening-match victory — their first at a World Cup in 44 years — sets up a genuine shot at reaching the knockout stages for the first time in the nation's history. With 32 of the 48 teams advancing, a single point against either Morocco or Brazil would almost certainly be enough to progress.

Tactical questions ahead of Morocco

Clarke deployed two strikers against Haiti, but several former Scotland players believe that setup will change for the remaining Group C fixtures. Former captain Scott Brown expects Ryan Christie to come into the starting lineup and the team to revert to a single striker.

"I think Ryan Christie starts in both of them," Brown said. "I think we end up going back to one up front and we'd be a little bit more compact in the middle of the park."

Neil McCann agrees a lone striker is the way forward, nominating Lyndon Dykes for the role. "He gets knock-downs, he holds it up for Scott McTominay and John McGinn to get beyond," McCann said.

Pat Nevin goes a step further, arguing Clarke should switch to a back three to contain Morocco's fluid and rapid attack. "A 4-4-2 doesn't suit us, the midfield is left completely wide open," Nevin said. "Morocco are so fluid and fast in attack. A back four against what they've got is difficult."

The road ahead

Scotland's qualification campaign was built on grinding out results — what McGinn himself called "jobby performances" — against the likes of Greece and Belarus. The Scots will need considerably more against Morocco and Brazil, the sides ranked seven and six in the world respectively.

Morocco and Brazil played out a 1-1 draw on Saturday, meaning the group remains wide open. Scotland's goal difference could yet prove decisive, a fact that will not be lost on supporters old enough to remember the painful exits of 1974, 1978, and 1982.

Former midfielder Charlie Adam captured the mood candidly. "We're the third-best team in the group, that's just the way it is. We're going to need to be better with the ball, especially against Morocco. But we talk about resilience, good heart — we've got bundles of that, and we're going to need it for the next two games."

The platform is there. Scotland avoided the nightmare of a damaging opening defeat, and the glass ceiling of the knockout stage has never felt closer to shattering.