Tunisia fires coach Lamouchi after 5-1 World Cup loss to Sweden, appoints Hervé Renard for rescue mission

Swift dismissal

Tunisia lost 5-1 to Sweden in their opening Group F match in Monterrey on Sunday. The performance was dire, and the Tunisian Football Federation announced on Tuesday that coach Sabri Lamouchi's contract was terminated by mutual agreement. Lamouchi, 54, had been in charge since January, winning only one of five matches, a friendly against Haiti.

Renard steps in

Later on Tuesday, the federation appointed Hervé Renard, the 57-year-old Frenchman, to take over until the end of the World Cup, with an option for a long-term deal afterwards. Renard flew to Monterrey to start work immediately.

“The Tunisian Football Federation announces the appointment of Hervé Renard as national coach until the end of the 2026 World Cup.”

When contacted by phone, Renard's first reaction was to ask: "But has Sabri left?" He had sensed an opportunity.

Renard's track record

Renard has a storied career in African football, winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015. He coached Morocco at the 2018 World Cup and Saudi Arabia at the 2022 tournament, where his team famously beat eventual champions Argentina 2-1. He was fired by Saudi Arabia in April 2026 despite guiding them to World Cup qualification. He also led France's women's team at their 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Tunisia will be his third different men's World Cup team.

Historical precedent

Mid-tournament coaching changes at World Cups are rare but not unprecedented. Tunisia themselves fired Henryk Kasperczak after two group-stage losses in 1998. That same year, Saudi Arabia dismissed Carlos Alberto Parreira and South Korea fired Cha Bum-kun. In 2018, Spain sacked Julen Lopetegui two days before their opening match. The earliest case was Scotland's Andy Beattie, who resigned after the first game in 1954.

What's next

Renard has just four days to prepare for Saturday's match against Japan in Monterrey. Tunisia then faces group favourites Netherlands on June 25 in Kansas City. The team has never advanced from the World Cup group stage in six attempts, but the expanded 48-team format offers a route to the last 32 for the best third-placed teams.