SFA earmark three bases for Qatar World Cup
SCOTLAND have identified three prospective training bases at the Qatar 2022 finals in November despite the ongoing uncertainty over the Path-A play-offs.
The national team’s semi- final match against Ukraine, which was scheduled to have been played at Hampden on Thursday, was postponed this month due to the Russian invasion and it remains unclear when or even if it will go ahead. But the Scottish FA have made contingency plans for Steve Clarke’s men qualifying for the World Cup by sending Graeme Jones, their head of high performance, to Qatar to view facilities they can potentially use.
Clarke, whose side will face Wales in Cardiff if they get through to the play-off final, is confident the delayed Ukraine game will not impact on Scotland’s preparations if they reach the World Cup finals.
“We have to qualify first,” said Clarke yesterday as he stepped up preparations for the international friendly against beaten play-off semifinalists Austria in Vienna on Tuesday.
“We have three places earmarked. Obviously dependent on if we get there or not, we will get one of those three places. Whichever one it is will be adequate for us.”
Asked if the delay to the Ukraine game created any logistical problems, Clarke said: “Not really, because we are just waiting to go and have two or three different ideas in our heads as to what we have to do.
“Probably the worst thing is that we are watching the play-off games on Thursday night and teams are now one step away from the final and we are sitting here waiting on a confirmed date for when we can actually play our semi-final. It is just the uncertainty more than anything.
“But, as I always say, the backdrop to that is that we cannot complain about it because Ukraine are in a hell of a position in the way the country is and the fact they are at war at this stage makes everything else totally inconsequential.”
The draw for the group stage of the Qatar 2022 finals will take place in Doha on Friday – but Clarke will be
unconcerned about who Scotland’s potential opponents could be with two matches still to negotiate before a place in the finals is secured.
“I am not too bothered to be honest because we are not there yet,” he said. “We will be in as a TBC – to be confirmed! We shall just wait and see. We will watch it and obviously we will be interested in what might be. But might-bes don’t matter in football.
“I want to get there. When we get there – if we get there – then we can start talking about pride and how well we have done.”
Clarke added: “It’s different times, times we could have done without. We could have done without the pandemic and certainly could do without the war, which is horrendous for everyone that has been affected by it. It’s human nature to find a way, humans are resilient and find a path through the obstacles that are put in their way. So hopefully we can have a good outcome.”