Glasgow, 12 October (H.S.): Scotland manager Steve Clarke is set to make history as he leads his team for the 72nd time in Sunday’s World Cup qualifying fixture against Belarus at Hampden Park, surpassing Craig Brown’s long-standing record for most matches managed by a Scotland head coach.

The fixture marks a pivotal moment, with Clarke’s side vying for a top spot in their group and seeking their first men’s World Cup appearance since 1998.A win over Belarus, who sit bottom of the group with no points, would propel Scotland to the summit ahead of Denmark’s clash with Greece later in the evening.

Should Greece falter, victory would guarantee a play-off spot for Clarke’s men, who had previously secured a 2-0 victory against Belarus in Hungary last month.

It’s a proud milestone, but the real focus is the team and reaching the World Cup, Clarke said, reflecting on his unexpected longevity in the role since taking charge in 2019 after succeeding Alex McLeish. Under Clarke’s leadership, Scotland have qualified for two successive European Championships and now harbour ambitions for the global stage that eluded him both as player and manager.

Key changes loom for Sunday’s lineup due to suspensions for Lewis Ferguson and Ryan Christie and an injury to Aaron Hickey. This opens the door for Billy Gilmour, Lyndon Dykes and Tony Ralston to feature from the start as Scotland aim to overcome a resilient Belarusian side expected to adopt a defensive posture.

Clarke stressed the importance of securing points against lower-ranked opponents, noting, If you want to qualify, these are the games you have to win. There’s no room for complacency.

Scotland’s impressive home record against nations ranked outside the top 100 underscores both confidence and expectation with 19 wins out of 21 such fixtures since 1992.Match statistics favour the Scots, with three wins, one draw, and one defeat in prior encounters with Belarus. Belarus, meanwhile, arrive in Glasgow amid a run of ten consecutive World Cup qualifying losses and a heavy 6-0 defeat to Denmark.Another victory would see Clarke equal Brown’s record of 32 victories as national team boss, while forward Lyndon Dykes, prolific off the bench, could further cement his status as a valuable impact player.

With two more crucial qualifiers on the horizon against Greece and Denmark next month, Scotland’s World Cup dream remains within reach. For Steve Clarke, staying greedy for more might just be the winning formula for historic success.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar