Tunisia have taken swift and decisive action following their humiliating 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening World Cup 2026 group stage fixture, announcing the immediate dismissal of manager Sabri Lamouchi. The decision comes with two crucial group games still to play, leaving the North African nation facing an uphill battle to progress in the tournament.
Lamouchi, who only took the reins of the Tunisian national team in January, managed a mere five games during his short tenure. His brief spell included a solitary victory, a 1-0 win against Haiti, but was marred by a significant 5-0 friendly loss to Belgium just before the World Cup, and now the heavy defeat to Sweden. The Tunisian Football Association confirmed the departure via an Instagram statement, indicating that an agreement had been reached to terminate his contract.
Stepping into the interim role is Mondher Kebaier, a familiar face to Tunisian football fans, who previously managed the national side between 2019 and 2022. Kebaier is expected to lead the team for the remainder of their World Cup campaign, which continues with challenging fixtures against Japan on Saturday, followed by a match against the Netherlands. These games will be critical for Tunisia, who have historically struggled to advance beyond the group stages of the World Cup.
The comprehensive defeat to Sweden saw goals from Yasin Ayari (twice), Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, and Mattias Svanberg, completely overwhelming Lamouchi's side. While managerial changes during major tournaments are uncommon, they are not unprecedented. Tunisia themselves set a precedent in 1998 by sacking Henryk Kasperczak after two winless matches. Other notable examples include Cha Bum-kun's dismissal by South Korea in the same tournament, and Julen Lopetegui's controversial sacking by Spain just two days before the 2018 World Cup.
Lamouchi’s departure highlights the immense pressure and high stakes involved in international football, especially on the global stage of the World Cup. The Tunisian FA's rapid response underscores their ambition to salvage their campaign, despite the challenging road ahead in a group that also features strong contenders like Japan and the Netherlands.