Lokacin da Kenny McLean ya buga ƙwallon daga layin tsakiya a minti na 98 don tabbatar da nasara ta 4-2 kan Denmark a Hampden Park, Scotland ta kawo ƙarshen shekaru 28 na rashin kasancewa a Kofin Duniya. Wannan burin a cikin ƙarin lokaci — da ɗaurin ƙafa na Scott McTominay wanda yanzu yana kan ado a bangon zane kusa da filin — ya nutsar da dukan ƙasa cikin hawaye sannan farin ciki, kuma kuɗin fuska bai ɓace ba tun daga lokacin.

Bayanin bidiyo a shafin YouTube na ƙungiyar ƙasa ta Scotland ya tara kallon mutane miliyan 6.5, adadin da ke nuna yadda wannan dare na Nuwamba a Glasgow ya jan hankalin duk duniya. Har masu zaton da ba su da bangare ba su iya juya idanunsu.

Zuwa Boston

Tartan Army za zuwa Boston da Miami cikin ɗimbin yawa a lokacin FIFA World Cup 2026, bayan an rarraba ƙungiyar Steve Clarke a rukuni tare da Haiti, Morocco, da Brazil — wannan Brazil da Scotland ta fuskanta a rukuni nata na ƙarshe a Kofin Duniya a shekara ta 1998.

Cin Haiti a wasan farko zai sauƙaƙe matsin lamba nan da nan ga ƙungiyar da har yanzu tana ɗaukar tabo daga wani mummunan Euro 2024, inda Scotland ta kasa nuna iyawar ta. Kai ga zagaye na goma sha shida — abin da ba wata ƙungiyar Scotland ta taɓa cimma ba a manyan gasar — har yanzu shi ne babban buri, kuma ƙungiyoyi takwas da suka zo na uku suna ƙara inganta damar cimmawa.

Tambayoyin mai tsaron raga

Clarke na fuskantar wahalar zaɓi na gaske, musamman a matsayin mai tsaron raga. Craig Gordon, wanda yanzu yana da shekaru 43 kuma yana warkar da rauni na kafaɗa tun Fabrairu, ya kammala yaƙin neman cancantar halartar a matsayin zaɓi na farko na Scotland — labari mai ban mamaki da kansa, ko da yake ba wata hanya mafi dacewa zuwa ga Kofin Duniya. Mataimakinsa, Angus Gunn, ya kasance a benci a Nottingham Forest, yana fara wasa ɗaya kawai na gasa har zuwa tsakiyar Maris. Clarke ya kiraci guar tsaron raga daban-daban guda tara a shekara da ta gabata yana neman amsa.

Akwai damuwa game da 'yan wasa na filin wasa ma. Aaron Hickey ya fama da ɓacin ranka na raunuka, ɗan wasan baki Ben Gannon-Doak ya dawo horon a watan Maris ne kawai bayan dōguwar rashi, kuma nauyin aiki mai yawa da Scott McTominay da John McGinn ke ɗauka a kulob ɗinsu kullum yana ɗaga tambayoyi game da saboncinsu a lokacin gasar.

Tarin Clarke ya fi dara ɗaiɗaikun ƙwarewa

Duk da duk wannan damuwar ɗaiɗaikun, ƙarfin Scotland na gaske kullum shi ne ruhin ƙungiya. Wannan ƙungiya ce da kowane ɗan wasa ke buga wa abokinsa da koacinsa, tana tattare da girmamawa ta juna da niyyar haɗin kai. Masu sukar Clarke suna cewa yana da aminci da yawa ga wasu 'yan wasa kuma yana da tsarin wasa mai iyakancewa, amma rikodinsa — mafi yawan wasannin da aka jagoranci a tarihin Scotland — yana yin wa mafi yawancin zargi shiru.

Kyaftin Andy Robertson, ginshiƙin Liverpool wanda zai cika shekaru 32 wannan rani, zai jagoranci Scotland a babbar gasar a karo na uku, yana saita sautin da shugabanci da gogewarsa.

Zai kuma samu wani abin dariya na tabbas lokacin da Carlo Ancelotti mai mamaki ake tambayarsa, wani wuri a Arewacin Amurka, game da alaƙar da ɗansa Davide ya taɓa yi da aikin koach na Rangers. Amma Scotland za ta sami muhimman abubuwa a ranta. Sun cancanci a ba su amana — yanzu dole su yi amfani da damar.