Roy Keane accuses Scotland of daydreaming after 71-second Morocco sucker punch

Scotland’s World Cup 2026 campaign suffered a jarring jolt when Morocco’s Ismael Saibari latched onto a Brahim Diaz pass and fired past Angus Gunn after just 71 seconds, the earliest goal conceded at the tournament so far, leaving Roy Keane and the ITV studio panel visibly unimpressed.

The Tartan Army had arrived at the game in buoyant mood following an opening victory over Haiti, knowing a win against Morocco would mathematically seal their place in the knockout rounds for the first time in the nation’s history. Instead, a calamitous opening handed the initiative straight to their opponents.

Grant Hanley was singled out for particular criticism after appearing to drop off in an attempt to play an offside trap, only to leave Saibari clean through on goal.

“I think the body language of the Scotland players… it’s like they’re daydreaming,” Keane said. “There was a big build-up to the game. They weren’t great the other night, but they got the win, and then they start the game like that? It’s like they’re in a jovial mood.”

Manager Ange Postecoglou and former Scotland international Duncan Ferguson echoed those concerns, both criticising Hanley’s decision-making in the build-up to the goal.

Despite the nightmare opening, Keane acknowledged that Morocco’s wastefulness kept the deficit manageable. “Scotland will be delighted going in at 1-0,” he said. “They were so poor, though they got a little bit of encouragement towards the end of the first half. But Morocco were a little bit slack with one or two other opportunities, and it could have been a lot worse for Scotland.”

A late first-half foray forward offered Scotland some hope heading into the break, though Keane was clear that head coach Steve Clarke had significant issues to address. “We’re talking about communication and distances,” the former Republic of Ireland midfielder added. “Steve Clarke, no doubt, will be hugely frustrated.”