Ex-Scotland captain Graeme Souness has stunned the Tartan Army – by deciding to roar Ukraine to victory on Wednesday night.
The 69-year-old says a win for the east Europeans will “send a message” to Russia – and he hopes they also lift the World Cup.
Souness said: “I don’t just want Ukraine to qualify, I want them to go there (Qatar) and win it.
“How far do you have to bury your head in the sand not to realise the situation the world’s in right now?
“Will it be when someone presses the button on a nuclear weapon?”
Scotland need to win to earn a play-off final against Wales in Cardiff on Sunday.
And Souness added: “I’d not want to be one of the Scottish players playing that night. I don’t know where my emotions would be.
“My emotions when I think about it deeply are that it’s more important than football to send a message that Russia’s behaviour is unacceptable.
“The world has to unite and tell them that – you can hear the emotion in my voice. That’s my overriding feeling on the situation.”
Souness, who will be working for Sky Sports at Hampden, added: “I’m doing it for TV and I’m not sure how I’ll cope with that.
“I know the majority of our supporters who go there will feel the same – there you are. It’s going to be a really strange night.”
Hamish Husband, spokesman for the West of Scotland Tartan Army said: “I can understand his predicament because that’s the world we now live in.
“But it’s disappointing to hear a former Scotland captain back another team against his country.”
Stepan Luczka, 34, head of the UK Ukrainian Sports Supporters Club said: “This night goes beyond sport.
“I agree the game is more important to Ukraine on an emotional level but in footballing terms, it is more important to Scotland.
“Your team has not qualified for a World Cup for so long yet a victory for us is so important, wherever we achieve it.”
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