Tunisia riots: African team sacks coach hours after Sweden strike at World Cup

Tunisia’s crushing 5-1 defeat by Sweden in their World Cup opener has reportedly cost head coach Sabri Lamouchi his job, with local reports suggesting he has been sacked from his role as head coach. According to Tunisian broadcaster Mosaique FM, senior delegation officials called an emergency meeting after the heavy loss to assess the direction of the team and Lamouchi’s future. There were also reports of tension within the team, including arguments between members of the camp after the game and later at the team hotel.

Renowned journalist Romain Molina tweeted on his X account that Lamouchi had been sacked after the loss, which has already left Tunisia on the ropes. (Credit: Romain Molina X)

Lamouchi, who previously managed Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City, was appointed in January after Sami Trabelsi stepped down following Tunisia’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign. His tenure started on a positive note with a win over Haiti, but the results have deteriorated since then.

Tunisia are winless in subsequent games against Canada, Austria, Belgium and Sweden, while goals have been hard to come by. Concerns were already growing after a 5-0 thumping by Belgium in their last friendly before the World Cup.

Former Sunderland midfielder Wahbi Khazri, who currently serves as Lamouchi’s assistant, has been mentioned as a possible interim successor should the federation decide to make a change.

Against Sweden, things unraveled quicklywho seized control soon after Yasin Ayari’s opener in the first ten minutes before inflicting Tunisia’s heaviest defeat of the tournament so far.

Lamouchi described the loss as painful after the match and criticized his players for making too many mistakes during the match.

“It’s a tough loss. It’s painful. It’s really hard to start a competition with a loss like that,” Lamouchi said in a post-match press conference.

With a crucial group stage clash against Japan scheduled for June 20, Tunisia may now be forced to make a quick decision as they try to salvage their World Cup campaign.

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Published on:

15 Jun 2026 20:12 IST