The World Cup claimed its first victim as Tunisia sacked coach Sabri Lamouchi after a humiliating 5-1 defeat

Tunisia head coach Sabri Lamouchi (AP Photo) Tunisia became the first team to make a managerial change at the FIFA World Cup after sacking head coach Sabri Lamouchi following the team’s crushing 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening match.Tunisia’s football federation confirmed on Tuesday that veteran French coach Hervé Renard will take the reins as the North African side try to salvage their campaign and keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages for the first time.Lamouchi’s departure makes him the first managerial casualty of the ongoing tournament. The 54-year-old had only been in charge since January and oversaw just five games before being shown the door.

Sweden’s heavy defeat is costly

Tunisia suffered one of the darkest results in their modern history when Sweden ran riot on Sunday.Yasin Ayari struck twice, while Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Mattias Svanberg also got on the scoresheet as the Scandinavians exposed Tunisia’s fragile defence. Omar Rekik’s strike before half-time was little more than a consolation.According to reports, tension in the dressing room also contributed to Lamouchi’s dismissal, with the Tunisian federation acting quickly after the embarrassing defeat.The former France international previously coached Ivory Coast at the 2014 World Cup, but his second appearance at football’s showpiece ended almost as quickly as it began.Tunisia now face must-win clashes with Japan and the Netherlands if they are to avoid another group stage exit.

File photo: Herve Renard (AP Photo)

Renard returns to the FIFA World Cup spotlight

Looking to revive their campaign, Tunisia have turned to one of the most experienced managers in international football.Renard boasts an impressive resume having led both Zambia and Ivory Coast to Africa Cup of Nations titles. He also led Morocco to the 2018 World Cup and masterminded Saudi Arabia’s famous victory over eventual champions Argentina in the 2022 tournament.The Frenchwoman most recently completed a second stint in Saudi Arabia and also managed the French women’s national side.This is not the first time that Tunisia have changed managers during the World Cup. In 1998, Henryk Kasperczak was sacked after defeats to England and Colombia ended the country’s hopes of promotion.Tunisia are appearing in their seventh World Cup but remain one of the few regulars not yet to advance from the group stage.With Japan and the Netherlands looming, Renard faces an immediate challenge as he tries to prevent Tunisia’s latest World Cup campaign from unraveling completely.