Hervé Renard quits as Tunisia coach after winless World Cup campaign and record 12 goals conceded
Hervé Renard has stepped down as Tunisia head coach after just two matches in charge, following a World Cup group stage that saw the team concede a record 12 goals without a win.
A short-lived rescue mission
Hervé Renard announced his departure on Saturday, 4 July, less than three weeks after taking over the Tunisia job mid-tournament. He replaced Sabri Lamouchi, who left following a 5-1 defeat to Sweden in the opening Group B match. Renard took charge for the remaining two fixtures but could not reverse the team's fortunes.
My adventure ends here.
In a social media post, Renard thanked the Tunisian Football Federation for the opportunity and said representing Tunisia had been an "honour". The Frenchman's brief tenure ended with two defeats, sealing Tunisia's elimination without a point.
Record-breaking group stage exit
Tunisia arrived at the tournament with high expectations after a qualifying campaign in which they topped their group without conceding a goal. Those hopes evaporated quickly. The 5-1 loss to Sweden was followed by a 4-0 defeat to Japan under Renard, and a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the final group match.
The three results left Tunisia with 12 goals conceded in the group phase, a new World Cup record. The previous mark of 11 was set by Costa Rica in 2022. No team had ever shipped more goals in the group stage of the tournament.
- Tunisia tops World Cup qualifying group without conceding a goal.
- Tunisia eliminated in last 16; coach Sami Trabelsi dismissed.
- Sabri Lamouchi appointed, names World Cup squad.
- Tunisia loses 5-1 to Sweden; Lamouchi leaves.
- Hervé Renard takes over as head coach.
- Tunisia loses 4-0 to Japan.
- Tunisia loses 3-1 to Netherlands, eliminated with 12 goals conceded.
- Renard announces resignation on Instagram.
Renard's decorated career
Renard built his reputation in African football. He served as assistant to Claude Leroy with Ghana at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, then led Zambia to the 2012 title in Gabon. Three years later he repeated the feat with Côte d'Ivoire, becoming the first coach to win the competition with two different nations.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Renard was in charge of Saudi Arabia and masterminded a 2-1 victory over eventual champions Argentina in the group opener. His Tunisia stint, however, adds a starkly different chapter to that CV.
