Scottish Women's Football

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

Belgium, Israel and Luxembourg. The first three obstacles between Scotland and the 2027 World Cup.

Not the best, but not the worst, would be the initial reaction to the draw in Nyon.

Starting from the top, pot one team Belgium are a nation not unfamiliar to Scotland. Two years ago, the countries met in the first iteration of the Nations League in Group A.

Both games finished 1-1 - the only points Scotland picked up in the top tier - but the lasting memory comes from the first meeting at Hampden, when Caroline Weir ruptured her ACL.

That injury meant she missed out on Scotland's meetings with Israel in June 2024 in Nations League B. The Scots didn't need the Real Madrid midfielder's magic, though, as they won 5-0 and 4-1 respectively.

Martha Thomas scored all four goals in the closed-doors game in Budapest.

In the aftermath of the 7 October attack by Hamas and the Israeli government's military response, European football's governing body, Uefa, decided no matches in its own competitions could be held in Israel for security reasons.

As a result, Hungary has mostly been the home of both Israel's men's and women's football teams in the past seven months.

The Scottish FA has been approached for comment regarding the upcoming games against Israel.

When the Israelis came to Hampden, kick-off was delayed as a protestor chained himself to a goalpost.

The lowest-ranked team in the group, Luxembourg, are the nation Scotland have no recent history with. In fact, the sides have never met.

Melissa Andreatta's squad will be hopeful of ensuring there are no slip-ups in the matches against Luxembourg, with Belgium and Israel posing more challenges than perhaps she would have liked.

Wales would have been the preferred Pot 1 team, with Rhian Wilkinson's side on a wretched run of form - as well as now being in the post-Jess Fishlock era.

The recent friendly performance against Switzerland - also a Pot 1 team - has provided reason for optimism and promise in the early days of the Andreatta reign.

This, though, is the real deal. Part one. Let's not even think of the play-offs just yet...

Scotland fans, what do you make of the draw? Let us know your thoughts here.

We asked for your views on Scotland's 4-3 friendly defeat to Switzerland at East End Park.

Here are some of your comments:

Isla: Sterling performance from Scotland. I thought Kirsty Hanson, Kathleen McGovern and Caroline Weir were superb.

Rosealyn: I see lots of positives out of that game. The team looks stronger and more competitive, the results will come soon. Well done girls!

Laura: Absolutely incredible performance from Scotland, such a great team of players, especially McGovern with her goal.

Ali: There's a lot to be positive about based on that showing tonight. Great energy and appetite for goals. Maybe a little narrow early in the first half with players cutting inside and sometimes wanting too long on the ball but overall positive attacking football on show.

Toby: Shame we couldn't win but delighted for Caroline to get her goal at East End. She's done something her fellow Pars fans can only dream of!

Anne-Marie: 'Wasteful' is a bit of an understatement describing Scotland's performance. It was the best display I've seen for a long time by Scotland. They played some good football at times. Created lots of chances and were confident on the ball. Congratulations to the new manager Melissa Andreatta for bringing out the best in these women. In my opinion things can only get better …. Aussie rules!

Caroline Weir scored one and set up two goals on her Dunfermline homecoming, but it was not enough for victory as wasteful Scotland were defeated by Switzerland in an entertaining seven-goal friendly match.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

Image source, SNS

Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta: "Lots of positives.

"What you've probably seen was the progress that we've made and a performance heading in the direction we want to go. That's a team that's in form we've played against. Good teams like that are going to punish you when you make mistakes but we're still working on that. Super super pleased with our performance tonight.

This team wants to be a team that wants to attack and defend aggressively. Tonight we saw a team that can control the game and dominate a really good side. It took some great saves and some clearances, some ref calls maybe, to stop us.

We just ran out of time. I honestly believe it was one of those games where we just ran out of time.

"It's a short turnaround between games now so that will be good for us. We'll be together again soon and playing in the next FIFA window and I'm looking forward to that already."

On Kirsty Maclean: "Her nickname's not Ini [Iniesta] for nothing. She's tidy in small spaces, such a calm composed character. We have many like that in our team but for her age and her experience, she just calms things for us.

"That was one of many good performances. They'll leave the pitch disappointed tonight but many positives tonight."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at East End Park

Image source, SNS

Caroline Weir says it's a dream. Melissa Andreatta believes it'll be an inspiration.

The Ballon d'Or nominee's homecoming to Dunfermline is dominating the discussion as Scotland prepare to host Switzerland at East End Park on Tuesday.

Real Madrid midfielder Weir last took to the home turf of her beloved Pars 15 years ago for a birthday party, but will return for real as the Scots eye back-to-back victories following Friday night's win against Morocco.

Andreatta's squad trained on the pitch earlier on Monday after arriving back from Casablanca on Saturday afternoon, and the head coach said the native had an "ear to ear grin" as she took to the grass.

"She's a lifelong Pars fan, so to be here in her home city, in front of her friends and family - she showed me where her family used to sit - it just gives you that buzz," the Australian said.

"It's special for her and the players are happy for her. She's going to be inspired by the shouting Scots in the stands, the family and friends that she looks up to when she's singing the anthem and the tackles, the running, the big moments that her teammates take in the game.

"I think that's what will inspire her and her teammates to put in the type of performance that we want."

Andreatta familiarised herself with the city a matter of weeks ago, when she also sat down for an exclusive interview with BBC Scotland, and hopes her side's game in Fife is not the last outside of Hampden.

"I've really quite enjoyed it and everyone's so warm and friendly," the Australian said of Dunfermline.

"Then, just now, I was out on the pitch with the coaches looking at our session and Caroline walked out and the grin was from ear to ear.

"It's a beautiful stadium, it's so tight and close. We hope we get around the rest of the country too and share that with other cities and regions as well."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at East End Park

Image source, SNS

Head coach Melissa Andreatta addressed the media before Scotland welcome Switzerland to East End Park in an international friendly on Tuesday.

Here are the key things she said

• Scotland "certainly got everything" they could out of Friday's win in Morocco, on and off the pitch, as the team dealt with conditions, climate and travel in addition to opponent and performance.

• Andreatta is eyeing "more progress" against a "tougher, more organised and in-form team" when they welcome Switzerland to East End Park.

• The head coach "loves the hunger [in the squad] and how they just really want to keep improving themselves and progressing".

• Caroline Weir's homecoming gives everyone "a buzz" and the Australian hopes it can provide "inspiration" for the squad.

• There were no injury concerns before the players took park in their training later today.

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland in Casablanca

Once Caroline Weir's wonder goal hit the back of the net in Casablanca, her focus sharply turned to her dream homecoming in Dunfermline on Tuesday.

The Real Madrid midfielder delivered a bit of magic in Morocco to earn Scotland their first win since 29 October 2024, but now she wants to repeat it at her East End Park.

Melissa Andreatta's side welcome Switzerland to the Kingdom of Fife in the second of four friendlies before the end of the year on Tuesday - live on BBC Alba - and it's set to be an extra-special night for the Ballon d'Or nominee.

Dunfermline native Weir, who last graced the Pars' pitch at a birthday party 15 years ago, can't wait to live out a lifelong dream of representing her country in her hometown.

"I'm so excited to be going back to Dunfermline, and I think the team are excited as well," Weir told BBC Scotland after her winner in Africa.

"I mean, that is the ultimate dream, isn't it? [to score another wonder goal in Dunfermline].

"I don't know, we'll see. That might have been a fluke to be fair with my right foot!"

Fluke or not, it was an fantastic individual moment from the midfielder, who once again had the captain's armband. And the skipper was proud of her squad.

"We knew it was going to be a tough challenge coming over here, not always pretty and playing a different type of team that we're used to," Weir told BBC Scotland.

"But I think the team dealt with it well. Of course, there were tough moments, but we've come out on top.

"And I think this is a start. We need this kind of momentum and a win helps with that.

"We've learned a lot from tonight and I'm really proud of the players."

Caroline Weir's wonder strike from 35 yards in their friendly in Morocco secured Scotland their first win in almost a year.

Read the full match report here

Have your say via this link

Image source, SNS

Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta: "It feels very good right now but of course need to download the game and get going again for the next one but we'll enjoy this moment with the team.

"It means a lot to the players. They've not only been working hard for their country but they've been doing a lot of work with their club. They've come into camp in great condition, really focused and ready to take on board everything we're throwing at them and they did exactly that.

"We still weren't perfect out there but we got to work on a lot of things we've been doing in training and we've made good progress in some key areas.

"This game afforded us the opportunity to really get our attacking game going so it was good to have more of the ball and work on those principals we've been doing in training. I think that saw us getting into the final third a lot more, creating chances. It's the hardest part of the game converting so we'll keep working on that. Defensively we showed we can be compact but we're still chasing that clean sheet.

"We've got an assistant coach now that specialises in set pieces and with his work, and the team buying into everything, we create chances. Sometimes it's a bit of luck as well but that was set piece after set piece that the first goal came from.

"It's probably the longest trip a lot of these players have done, one of the first times we've been away to an African team but I'm really pleased not just for the players but the staff as well."

Image source, Scottish FA

Scotland midfielder Erin Cuthbert tells BBC Scotland: "We've been building up a couple of good performances building into this.

"I think conditions didn't really help, among a few other things, but games like this are all about riding it out and trying to get the win. Caz has come up with a lovely individual goal just when we needed her.

It's just a bit of relief. I felt like we dominated the game without creating a whole load of chances. Games like this remind me of when we played Albania to qualify for the world cup.

"It might not be pretty, it might not be nice but we come up with a goal to win it. I think now it is about getting wins on the board for us, it doesn't matter if it's a friendly or not.

"The heat, Scots are not quite acclimatised to it. The pitch conditions weren't quite, I was thinking about every run I made and how I'm planting my foot on the ground which as a football you shouldn't really be doing. It was far from ideal but same for both teams. You've got to make do and win the game.

"It's really frustrating as a player when you want to build momentum and show your fitness you can't really do that when he whistle is getting blown all the time. We're a good transition team and we didn't really get the chance to show that tonight."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland in Casablanca

Image source, SNS

Nicola Docherty is the latest Scotland player to speak of the "fresh feeling" around camp since Melissa Andreatta came in earlier this year.

The Rangers captain has been through the good and bad times over the past six years with the national team. From the high of the World Cup in 2019, to the lows of failing to qualify for the following three major tournaments, Docherty has seen it all.

And she hopes this new group, led by Andreatta, are in the beginnings of a better cycle once again.

"I've been part of that disappointment of the campaigns before, but it's a new staff and it's new challenge and that's something that we're really looking forward to," left-back Docherty told BBC Scotland.

"We've got a balance of experience, with really good, young, raw talent coming through as well.

"So, there's a good balance there and then obviously the staff that Mel's brought in as well have really fit right into the group."

Which is of credit to the Australian, who has equally settled right into the Scotland squad.

"Us as a nation, as Scottish people, we're really passionate, a positive group and Mel certainly emulates that," Docherty added.

"I don't think there's ever a time when she's not got a smile on her face, which I love.

"She loves being here and you can see that she really wants to drive us on and make us a successful nation."

Image source, SNS

While the majority of the Scotland team - and travelling media - are slapping on the sun cream and searching for shade in Casablanca, head coach Melissa Andreatta is in her element.

The Australian is more than familiar with the heat showering the Scots in Morocco, but she hopes over the coming days her squad become more accustomed to the climate.

Not because they'll be faced with such boiling conditions back home, but because the next World Cup in 20227 is in Brazil. Boiling indeed.

The players, who made the four-hour flight from Edinburgh on Wednesday, were given a sense of the surroundings on Thursday afternoon when they trained at Stade Pere Jego - the new venue for Friday night's game after the game was moved from Stade El Arbi Zaouli.

"Hopefully the players get a sense for it today because it's earlier and the warmth is here and the humidity is here," Andreatta told BBC Scotland on Thursday.

"It can feel like energy levels are different in this heat, but what you learn is that even though you might feel different, you can still execute your task and your game plan.

"That's been my experience with the hot weather in Australia and different parts around Asia that I've coached and been around a bit.

"But I think with all the processes and support that we've put in place, we want to minimise any physical impact on the players, and we'll take the learnings from this, ultimately.

"That's what it's all about. It's about what we learn here and what we're exposed to will help us inform preparations moving forward."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland in Casablanca

Image source, SNS

Head coach Melissa Andreatta spoke to BBC Scotland before the Scots' friendly against Morocco in Casablanca on Friday.

Here are the key points she made:

• Preparations have been good and the change of stadium on Wednesday morning has had "no impact" thanks to the operations team "handling it really well".

• Andreatta insists "there's still progress to be made" and things "won't be perfect" against Morocco in only her third game in charge, though she hopes her side "build on the attacking and defending aspect" from their last game against the Netherlands in June.

• She admits this is "probably a starting point in many ways" to her reign after her first two games closed out an already-disappointing Nations League campaign.

• The head coach insists there is "much more of an understanding" between her and the players, which is only going to grow among this "calm" group.

• Andreatta hopes that her players realise in these hot conditions that "even though you might feel different, you can still execute your task and your game plan".

• This game is "ultimately a learning" experience. "It's all about what we learn here and what we're exposed to, which will help us inform preparations moving forward."