Tunisia have appointed veteran coach Hervé Renard after a 5-1 loss to Sweden, but the dismissal of Sabri Lamouchi was only the latest symptom of a deeper crisis. Tunisia were beaten 4-0 in Renard’s first match, have already been eliminated from the World Cup, and will try to avoid another humiliation against the Netherlands. Coaching changes during a World Cup are unusual but not unprecedented, and Tunisia’s case stands out because Renard is the seventh coach the team has had since the start of 2024, while four of the previous five, including Lamouchi, lasted no more than five matches.
The team’s problems begin with the federation. Between 2012 and 2023, Tunisia reached two World Cups under Wadi Jari, who was arrested in October 2023 on allegations of match-fixing, fraud, embezzlement and money laundering. In 2025 he was sentenced to four years in prison. Jari denied the charges and said he was being politically persecuted. Current federation president Moez Nasri has said he does not make any decisions on his own, while his deputies face internal resistance over attempts to control the national team and use resources such as tickets and VIP treatment at World Cup matches. Several board members have said they plan to resign after the tournament.
Those power struggles also shaped the squad. Tunisia used three different coaches during qualifying, and Lamouchi, who coached against Sweden, left out several veteran players. The World Cup squad included four goalkeepers and 22 outfield players, an unusual balance, while some senior players were omitted. It later emerged that some selections were influenced by vice president Janaah and by direct federation orders, partly because Lamouchi feared losing his job. Some decisions were made to appease groups and secure large FIFA-related payments, and some critics say that amounted to bribery.
The gamble backfired. Tunisia fielded inexperienced goalkeeper Mueib Chamah, who made major errors on Sweden’s first two goals, while defenders with more than 90 caps were left out. In a final warm-up match, Tunisia lost 5-0 to Belgium, after which Lamouchi said the performance was “shameful.” He reportedly learned of his firing from the media. Renard, who has extensive experience with national teams and in the Arab world, has been promised to stay on after the tournament and given a significantly larger bonus, along with his own staff. Tunisia hope he can steady a young squad whose oldest player is 32, but the article says the full answer may not come until the next World Cup.
