Lyndon Dykes says Scotland will embrace their underdog status as they prepare for crucial Group C matches against Morocco and Brazil.
Steve Clarke’s side opened their campaign with a win over Haiti, a result that leaves them heading into Friday’s meeting with Morocco in Boston at the top of the group.
With Scotland’s final two opponents both ranked inside the world’s top 10, expectations from outside the camp may be limited. But Dykes insisted that any doubts over Scotland’s chances will only strengthen the team’s resolve.
“We always use that as motivation and make sure we respond,” he said. “We need to do that again on Friday.”
When asked whether being written off gives him extra drive, the Charlton forward made it clear that it does.
Lyndon Dykes has no fears over the daunting games yet to come against Morocco and Brazil
“Yeah, absolutely — and I think it should,” he said. “It definitely does for me.
‘I think for Scottish people in general, when people doubt you, you want to prove them wrong because we are fighters. We want to go out there and prove everyone wrong.
‘We are not going to go out there and just roll over or just take it. We are always going to fight and I think, for everyone, that gives you a burning feeling in your belly.’
Morocco reached the semi-finals in Qatar and are the reigning AFCON champions. While respectful of the challenge posed by a side which includes the likes of Brahim Diaz and Achraf Hakimi, Dykes sees enough within the Scotland squad to feel they can prevail.
‘I believe we can beat them because of my team and the team-mates I train with every time I’m away,’ he added.
‘We’ve got a fighting spirit. And growing up in my sporting career, I’ve learned never to write off an underdog, even if people are better than you or teams are better than you.
‘When people don’t believe in you, it doesn’t mean you should just give up.
‘I think we can definitely get another two wins in this tournament. It’s tournament football so anything can happen.
‘It’s been really difficult for teams to win, which you can see from recent results all over the World Cup.
Scotland’s young guns Curtis, Fletcher and Gannon-Doak were in good spirits in training
‘It’s going to be difficult, but I believe in myself, my team and the manager.
‘Also, all the fans who have travelled over, they help us to win games.’
Asked to describe the mood in the camp since the win over Haiti, Dykes offered: ‘Confident. It is going to be a difficult game, like every game in this whole tournament.
‘The camp is in high spirits and we are looking forward to it.
‘We will take every game as it comes. We need to embrace them as well. They will be difficult games, but I believe in my team and in myself and I am sure everyone else does as well.
‘We want to win every game. That is the main aim for everyone. We have three games. We have won one of them so far and we have two more to go. We want to win both of those as well.’
Having recorded a first win at a World Cup since 1990, there is a scenario where Scotland could secure first place in the section with a game to spare.
A win on Friday coupled with Brazil drawing with Haiti would ensure Clarke’s men were in an unassailable position in top spot before playing the South Americans in Florida.
‘We’d take that!’ smiled Dykes. ‘It could happen, it’s not ridiculous. But we just have to focus on ourselves.
‘We want to go into this game and take three points. And in the last one, we want to get at least some points. We don’t want to get none.
‘Ideally, if that plays out, we’ll take that no problem — and keep knocking through to the final, that would be fine.’
