World Cup: Tunisia appoint Herve Renard as new manager after sacking Sabri Lamouchi

Tunisia have sacked coach Sabri Lamouchi after a disastrous start to the World Cup and agreed a deal to appoint fellow Frenchman Herve Renard as his replacement, Tunis Afrique Presse reported on Tuesday.

The move follows Tunisia’s 5-1 defeat by Sweden in their Group F opener in Monterrey on Sunday, a result that has put the North Africans under immediate pressure at the tournament.

Lamouchi becomes the first World Cup coaching casualty. The 54-year-old was appointed in January on a contract until 2028 but lasted just six months in the role.

Tunisia officially confirmed his departure late on Monday, with group games against Japan on Saturday and the Netherlands on June 25 still to come.

Renard is to take charge of the remainder of the Tunisian campaign. Sources told ESPN the 57-year-old will arrive in Mexico, where the team is based, on Tuesday afternoon and oversee his first training session later that evening in Monterrey.

The appointment marks Renard’s third World Cup with a third different nation. He led Morocco at the 2018 tournament in Russia before taking charge of Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Renard’s Saudi side caused one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history by beating eventual champions Argentina in their opening group game, although they failed to progress to the knockout stages after losing their next two matches.

Renard, a two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner, led Zambia to the continental title in 2012 and repeated the feat with Ivory Coast three years later.

According to ESPN, Tunisia’s decision was influenced not only by a heavy defeat against Sweden, but also by unrest in the dressing room and tensions between Lamouchi, some players and officials within the Tunisian Football Federation.

The coaching change is believed to be the earliest managerial sacking in World Cup history, with Lamouchi leaving after just one game at the tournament.

Former Tunisian international midfielder Wahbi Khazri, who served as Lamouchi’s assistant, will remain under Renard on the coaching bench.

Tunisia are bottom of Group F after defeat to Sweden and face a must-win game against Japan as they look to revive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.

Football World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | football news

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

16 Jun 2026 11:13 IST