The Tunisian Football Federation fired head coach Sabri Lamouchi and appointed Hervé Renard as his replacement on Tuesday [2].
The move comes as Tunisia attempts to stabilize its national team during the qualifying cycle for the 2026 World Cup. The decision follows a significant collapse in performance that threatened the team's standing in the competition.
The coaching change was triggered by a 5-1 defeat [1] against Sweden in a qualifying match held June 16, 2024 [1]. The match took place in Sweden and resulted in one of the heaviest losses in the history of the Tunisian national team [2].
Federation officials said the scale of the defeat demonstrated a need for a change in leadership [2]. While some reports suggest the dismissal followed a broader run of disappointing results [2], other accounts indicate the decision was made immediately after the single match against Sweden [3].
Hervé Renard, the former manager of France, takes over the squad to steer the team through the remainder of the qualifiers. Renard is expected to implement a new tactical approach to recover from the loss in Sweden.
The Tunisian Football Federation announced the appointment in Tunis [2]. The federation said it would not provide further details on the length of Renard's contract or the specific terms of Lamouchi's departure.
“Tunisia fired head coach Sabri Lamouchi and appointed Hervé Renard as his replacement”
The appointment of Hervé Renard represents a high-stakes attempt by Tunisia to salvage its World Cup 2026 ambitions. By replacing Lamouchi with a manager of Renard's international pedigree immediately after a historic defeat, the federation is signaling that it views the current tactical direction as a failure and requires an experienced hand to manage the pressure of the qualifying rounds.
