Tunisia have made a dramatic change in the dugout just days into their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, sacking head coach Sabri Lamouchi and appointing experienced French manager Hervé Renard in a desperate bid to revive their tournament hopes.
The decision follows Tunisia’s humiliating 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening Group F match, a result that left the Carthage Eagles under intense pressure heading into their remaining group games.
Lamouchi’s spell in charge comes to an abrupt end after only a few months at the helm. The former France international was appointed in January but failed to survive Tunisia’s poor start to the World Cup.
The Tunisian Football Federation confirmed his dismissal on Tuesday before quickly unveiling Renard as his replacement.
Renard arrives with a reputation as one of international football’s most successful coaches. The 57-year-old is best known for leading Zambia to a historic Africa Cup of Nations title in 2012 before guiding Ivory Coast to AFCON glory three years later.
His coaching journey has also taken him to the World Cup with Morocco in 2018 and Saudi Arabia in 2022, where he masterminded one of the biggest upsets in football history by leading the Saudis to a stunning victory over eventual champions Argentina.
Tunisia will now be hoping that Renard can produce another miracle as they attempt to rescue their campaign.
The North Africans still have two crucial group-stage matches remaining, starting with a difficult clash against Japan on Saturday before facing the Netherlands in their final group game on June 25.
The latest coaching shake-up is not the first time Tunisia have made a managerial change during a World Cup. In 1998, the federation dismissed coach Henryk Kasperczak after defeats to England and Colombia ended the team’s qualification hopes before the final group match.
Now, the spotlight shifts to Renard, who has been handed the tough task of lifting a team low on confidence and keeping alive Tunisia’s dream of reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the country’s history.
With everything still to play for, Tunisian fans will be hoping their new coach can deliver another remarkable turnaround on football’s biggest stage.
