Tunisia’s World Cup campaign has taken a dramatic turn after the football federation parted ways with head coach Sabri Lamouchi just one match into the tournament, following a heavy opening defeat that has already reshaped the team’s direction in Group F.
The decision came after Tunisia were beaten 5-1 by Sweden in their first Group F fixture played on Sunday at the Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe, Mexico, a result that triggered immediate action from the national federation.
On Tuesday, the Tunisia Football Association confirmed that Lamouchi’s contract had been ended by “mutual agreement”, bringing his short spell in charge of the national team to an abrupt close during the competition.
In a swift response to the change, former Morocco and Saudi Arabia head coach Herve Renard has been named as the new team manager and will remain in charge until the end of the tournament, as Tunisia attempt to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
Lamouchi’s departure makes history as the first instance of a coach being dismissed after just one match at a World Cup, ending a five-month tenure that failed to deliver consistent results.
Despite the early exit, Lamouchi had still overseen training on Monday, a day before the official announcement of his departure was made public.
His record leading into the tournament showed limited success, having won only one of his five matches as Tunisia head coach, a narrow 1-0 victory over Haiti in his first game in charge.
Tunisia’s build-up to the World Cup also raised concerns, with back-to-back defeats in friendly matches earlier this month, including a 1-0 loss to Austria followed by a 5-0 defeat to Belgium.
Renard now faces a difficult assignment as he takes over a struggling squad that must quickly recover ahead of crucial remaining Group F matches against Japan and the Netherlands.
The change in leadership leaves Tunisia needing an immediate turnaround if they are to keep any hopes of progressing in the tournament.