World Cup chaos as manager sacked after one game

News

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Tunisia’s 5-1 loss against Sweden at the 2026 World Cup will cost head coach Sabri Lamouchi is job after just one fixture of the tournament.

The Carthage Eagles have had an enormous turnover in the dugout in recent years, with Lamouchi the latest victim after a performance that was branded ‘shameful’ by the local media.

The North Africans made a nightmare start to their campaign as they were easily defeated in Monterrey, with Yasin Ayari, a Swede with Tunisia heritage, scoring two of their opponents’ five goals.

It was a performance that left fans of the North African team furious and has cost their head coach his job after just one match of the World Cup.

Respected French football journalist Romain Molina wrote on X: “It’s over for Sabri Lamouchi at the head of the Tunisia national team.”

Wahbi Khazri, the former Sunderland midfielder who has no experience as a head coach, is expected to take over on an interim basis until the end of the tournament.

Sabri Lamouchi sacked after one game

Pressure had mounted on Lamouchi following a disastrous performance in their final friendly match before the tournament as they were thumped 5-0 by Belgium. His negative system had been criticised in Tunisia, with his decision to field a low block with three centre-backs and no recognised centre-forward causing him to be unpopular.

And his defensive setup has been effective. This is the first time in the Tunisia national team’s history that they have conceded five goals in successive matches.

“It's a tough loss, it's painful to start the competition with such a heavy defeat,” Lamouchi said after the Sweden match. “We made far too many mistakes, and with world-class players like the two Swedish strikers, that’s unforgivable.”

Le Quotidien’s assessment of the performance was stark: “There was an inexperienced goalkeeper who was unable to hold firm and keep his team in the game, a shaky defence that trembled at every opposing attack, a midfield that was simply trying to defend, and a virtually non-existent attack since the team's best forwards were on the bench.”

Mosaique FM interviewed a witness who claims they saw a fight between Lamouchi’s son, whose role in the delegation is unclear and has provoked controversy in Tunisia, and a supporter.

Crisis in Tunisian football: It’s sick

The Tunisian media has pinned the blame firmly on the coach, with influential website Ettachkila branding the performance: “Absolutely shameful”.

But the reality of the situation is more nuanced and, to some extent, out of the coach’s hands.

“We lack talent, we no longer train players, the infrastructure is failing, Tunisian football is sick,” one anonymous source told Le Parisien.

Lamouchi, meanwhile, had taken over one of the most volatile jobs in international football after a poor AFCON performance that saw the North Africans eliminated by Mali in the round of 16.

He was their sixth head coach in two-and-a-half years, although that was not something that concerned him.

Speaking to L’Equipe before the tournament began, he said: “I have a real desire to bring something to the table. If I succeed, great. If not, I'll move on. I'd like it to last a long time, but above all, I want it to be as successful as possible. Instability exists everywhere, in national teams and clubs. People think there's more drama in Africa. But what about Marseille, for example? In our business, time is dictated by results. I hope to get them to help Tunisia progress.”

Lamouchi has not been granted the time he would have wished, with Tunisia still to face Japan and Netherlands.