Tunisia sacks coach Sabri Lamouchi after World Cup defeat

Tunisia's World Cup journey in 2026 was cut short for coach Sabri Lamouchi just 90 minutes into their campaign. He was dismissed following a resounding 5-1 loss to Sweden in their opening match.

Lamouchi's tenure with the Carthage Eagles was brief, spanning only five months. He took over in mid-January, replacing Sami Trabelsi, who had qualified the team for the tournament. During his short stint, Lamouchi managed only one victory against Haiti, a draw with Canada, and losses to Austria and Canada (5-0). These results had already weakened his position before the World Cup even began.

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It is a hard defeat, it is painful to start the competition with such a big loss. We made too many mistakes, and with world-class players like the two Swedish forwards, that is unforgivable.

The heavy defeat against Sweden proved to be the final straw, leading to an emergency meeting of the Tunisian Football Federation's directors. Lamouchi expressed his disappointment, stating, "It is a hard defeat, it is painful to start the competition with such a big loss. We made too many mistakes, and with world-class players like the two Swedish forwards, that is unforgivable."

This incident is not unprecedented in World Cup history. The article recalls similar dismissals, such as Carlos Alberto Parreira, who was fired as Saudi Arabia's coach in the 1998 World Cup after two losses, and Bum-kun Cha of South Korea, who lost his job after similar early defeats in the same tournament. Even Spain's Julen Lopetegui was dismissed before the 2018 World Cup began, highlighting the intense pressure on national team coaches during major tournaments.

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I would have liked to finish. It saddens me because I have nothing to reproach myself for, neither as a man nor as a professional.