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Norway coach Stale Solbakken praised striker Erling Haaland, saying he expects him to have a major impact in the ongoing FIFA World Cup and believes he will continue to score if provided chances.
He also added that Haaland's presence boosts the confidence and development of the players around him. Haaland is raring to go against Iraq on Tuesday in his country's first World Cup match in 28 years "Hopefully, he will have a very big impact. Hopefully, we can continue to give him chances, and if you give Erling chances, he has a tendency to score. The players around him have grown because of that. So they have got more confidence in themselves," he told reporters as per Reuters. Norway kick off their World Cup campaign at the New England Patriots' stadium in the suburbs of Boston against an Iraq side that qualified for the tournament. Norway enjoyed a dominant qualification campaign, winning all eight of their matches and scoring 37 goals in the process. Iraq were the final team to secure a place at the World Cup, booking their spot in March after defeating Bolivia in the intercontinental playoff. It has been a strong start to the tournament for Asian Football Confederation sides, and Iraq will aim to continue that momentum, although they face a difficult challenge in this match. Norway, meanwhile, are a well-balanced team with quality across the pitch, but their success has been heavily driven by the influence of Erling Haaland. (ANI)
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