Scotland struggle to create as Nicolas Pepe’s goal gives Ivory Coast victory | OneFootball

A much-changed Scotland suffered another friendly defeat with the 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast offering manager Steve Clarke few solutions to their creativity problems as he prepares for the nation’s first World Cup since 1998.

This was the Scots’ eighth reverse in the last 11 non-competitive matches and after conceding an early goal they struggled to really test opponents who did not concede a goal or lose a game in qualifying for this summer’s tournament.

The team were criticised for their flat performance in Saturday’s defeat to Japan but pre-match midfielder John McGinn stressed they could not afford to take the game to better opponents as they would be picked off.

Which is exactly what happened in the 12th minute when, from a four-on-five Ivory Coast counter-attack, former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe tapped in a shot which rebounded off a post.

But with their World Cup campaign kicking off in 74 days with a match against minnows Haiti which they need to capitalise on Clarke has to find a way of making the team more threatening.

A solution seemed unlikely at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, watched by Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Kenny Dalglish and Toffees boss David Moyes, where Clarke made nine changes and switched to a back three.

Only captain Andy Robertson – winning his 92nd cap to put him only 10 behind the all-time appearance leader Dalglish – and Scott McTominay kept their places.

That understandably led to something of a disjointed first-half performance and after an initial burst of positivity the Scots had lost their way by the interval.

Ryan Christie’s low half-volley from the edge of the area was pushed away by second-choice goalkeeper Alban Lafont with the Bournemouth midfielder also shooting over after George Hirst, who started promisingly, dispossessed Wilfried Sango on halfway.

But when Christie and McTominay got in each other’s way trying to get on the end of a Robertson cross from Kieran Tierney’s through-ball Scotland were punished on the counter, having committed five players to the attack.

Ivory Coast broke and when Elye Wahi’s angled shot rebounded off the far post Pepe was left with a simple tap-in with beaten Rangers’ back-up goalkeeper Liam Kelly, winning only his second cap, slow to react.

Kelly was, however, more confident in allowing Wahi’s long-range, dipping strike to land on the roof of his net.

Chasing the game is not Scotland’s strength but McTominay forced Lafont to concede a corner with a shot from distance after three team-mates had pressured Christ Inao Oulai into losing possession.

A dangerous cross from Robertson, who regularly combined well with Tierney down the left, was cut out by Ousmane Diomande but it was a rare threatening moment.

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Andrew Robertson offered hope for Scotland (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Christie began brightly but was largely ineffective, Hirst faded while strike partner Che Adams was untidy in possession, which placed a significant burden on McTominay to do something in the final third.

Falkirk goalkeeper Scott Bain and Bologna midfielder Lewis Ferguson replaced Kelly and McTominay for the second half in which Scotland stepped up the pressure but still struggled to create clear-cut chances.

Hirst twice fired over from the edge of the area but they remained vulnerable on the counter.

Substitute Nathan Patterson’s well-timed tackle in the penalty area prevented Amad Diallo pulling the trigger after a break from a Scotland corner while Bain pulled off a good save to deny the Manchester United winger, before Monaco’s on-loan Sunderland winger Simon Adingra hit the post in added-time.