Tunisia sacks coach Sabri Lamouchi after just one World Cup game, a 5-1 thrashing by Sweden
Hours after a 5-1 World Cup defeat to Sweden in Monterrey, the Tunisian Football Federation dismissed head coach Sabri Lamouchi, who had been in charge for only five matches since January.
Immediate dismissal
The Tunisian Football Federation acted with lightning speed, firing head coach Sabri Lamouchi mere hours after the final whistle in Monterrey. The decision, first reported by journalist Romain Molina, came before the squad had even returned to their hotel. The federation has yet to issue an official statement, but the move reflects the depth of disappointment after such a one-sided defeat.
Lamouchi’s brief tenure
Lamouchi, a former France international, was hired in January 2026 to succeed Sami Trabelsi, who himself was dismissed after Tunisia’s round-of-16 exit at the Africa Cup of Nations. He signed a contract through July 2028, but leaves with a record of one win, one draw and three defeats from only five matches in charge. His lone victory was a 1-0 friendly over Haiti; a scoreless draw with Canada was followed by a 1-0 loss to Austria and a 5-0 drubbing by Belgium in pre-tournament warm-ups.
The match in Monterrey
Sweden, who qualified by beating Poland in a playoff, imposed themselves from the start in Group F. Yasin Ayari opened the scoring inside 30 minutes and Alexander Isak doubled the lead before half-time. Omar Rekik pulled one back for Tunisia just before the break, but any hopes of a comeback evaporated as Viktor Gyokeres, Mattias Svanberg and a second from Ayari sealed a 5-1 rout. The result marked the heaviest World Cup defeat in Tunisia’s history.
- Sabri Lamouchi appointed Tunisia coach, replacing Sami Trabelsi after Africa Cup of Nations exit.
- Tunisia loses 1-5 to Sweden in World Cup Group F opener in Monterrey.
- Tunisian Football Federation dismisses Lamouchi.
What’s next for Tunisia
Despite the chaos, Tunisia mathematically remain in contention in Group F, which also features the Netherlands and Japan after their 2-2 draw earlier on Sunday. The “Carthage Eagles” are set to face Japan on June 21 and the Netherlands on June 26, but the team now enters those matches without a permanent coach. Sweden, meanwhile, sit top of the group and are well placed for a knockout berth. It is unclear who will take charge for Tunisia, as the federation searches for its seventh manager since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Historical echoes
Lamouchi’s swift exit recalls the fate of Polish coach Henryk Kasperczak, who was fired by Tunisia during the 1998 World Cup after heavy group-stage defeats to England and Colombia. That coaching instability has become a theme for the North African side: Lamouchi was already the sixth coach to take the reins since the last World Cup. The Carthage Eagles must now regroup in the face of managerial turmoil and a daunting path to the knockout rounds.
