Tunisia plans to sack coach Lamouchi after 5-1 World Cup loss to Sweden
Tunisia manager Sabri Lamouchi is on the verge of being fired during the 2026 World Cup following a 5-1 defeat to Sweden in the opening match. An emergency meeting was called amid player dissent and a hotel altercation involving his son.
Defeat and immediate backlash
Tunisia lost 5-1 to Sweden in their opening Group F match at the 2026 World Cup, a result that triggered an immediate crisis. According to Mosaique FM, members of the Tunisian delegation and some players were already calling for the removal of coach Sabri Lamouchi while the match was still ongoing and before the final whistle, as the team trailed by four goals. The federation officials left the stadium ahead of the players and technical staff, heading straight back to the team hotel.
A defeat due to individual errors and a general tactical fragility.
The loss is the heaviest Tunisia have suffered in their World Cup history. Lamouchi, a former midfielder for Parma, Inter and Genoa, was hired in January and has overseen five matches: one win, one draw, three losses, with eleven goals conceded and only two scored. Friendly defeats to Austria (1-0) and Belgium (5-1) had already raised concerns before the tournament.
- Wins
- 1
- Draws
- 1
- Losses
- 3
Emergency meeting and potential successor
After the match, the federation’s leadership held an urgent meeting both at the team hotel in Monterrey and remotely with colleagues in Tunisia. Mosaique FM reported that the decision to end Lamouchi’s tenure was unanimous. The main candidate to take over is Mondher Kebaier, the federation’s technical director, who is already in Monterrey with the delegation. Another option, assistant coach Wahbi Khazri, is also mentioned by multiple outlets, while Anis Boujelbane is unable to join because he lacks a visa for Mexico.
Historical mid-tournament sackings
If Lamouchi is dismissed, it would be only the fourth mid-tournament coaching change in World Cup history. All three previous cases occurred at the 1998 tournament. Tunisia themselves fired Polish coach Henryk Kasperczak after defeats to England and Colombia, replacing him with Ali Selmi for the final group game. Brazil’s Carlos Alberto Parreira, who had won the 1994 World Cup, was sacked by Saudi Arabia after losses to Denmark and France. South Korean legend Cha Bum-kun was also dismissed during the 1998 finals. The rarity of such a move underlines the scale of the crisis in the Tunisian camp.
Off-field scuffle and son's role
Local media have highlighted the presence of Lamouchi’s son, who has no official role with the national team but appears in official staff photographs and at training sessions. After the Sweden defeat, a fight broke out between the son and a supporter, requiring intervention by security personnel, according to reports from Eurosport and Mosaique FM. The incident added to the tension and contributed to the federation’s decision.
What comes next
Tunisia remain in Group F alongside Sweden, Japan and the Netherlands. Their next match is against Japan on Sunday 21 June at 6 a.m. local time. If Lamouchi is officially sacked, Kebaier or Khazri would have only a few days to prepare the team for a match that could determine whether Tunisia retain any chance of advancing.
