Tunisia dismisses national team coach Lamouchi after opening loss to Sweden

Federation confirms separation on Instagram

"Es wurde offiziell vereinbart, Trainer Sabri Lamouchi zu entlassen," the Tunisian Football Federation wrote on Instagram. The separation after less than six months in office was thus sealed. Lamouchi had only been appointed as national team coach in January of this year, but was only able to achieve a single victory in the matches that followed.

That one success dates back to a 1:0 against Haiti in another friendly match. Otherwise, defeats lined up one after another, so the 54-year-old's record as Tunisia's national coach was overall extremely poor. Having conceded five goals in each of the last two matches, the Frenchman evidently ran out of arguments for continued employment.

Reminder of Qatar 2022

The North Africans had entered the tournament with genuine hopes. After all, at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they had defeated eventual finalist France in the group stage, producing one of the biggest upsets of the finals. However, they were unable to match that performance at any point in the current edition.

Khazri to take over on an interim basis

In the two remaining World Cup group stage matches, Tunisia will face Japan on June 21 and the Netherlands on June 26. According to media reports, Wahbi Khazri, the former striker and long-time Tunisia international, is to take over as interim coach for these two matches. An official confirmation from the federation was not initially available.

A possible permanent successor being mentioned is 56-year-old Mondher Kebaier, who was already Tunisia's team chief from 2019 to 2022 and thus already led the team through a qualifying phase. Whether he actually returns will depend on the sporting performance in the remaining group matches and on negotiations with the federation.

The reshuffle shows how seriously the situation is being viewed by the Tunisian federation. Elimination in the group stage is considered likely, after the team conceded five goals in its first match. Japan and the Netherlands also await as two difficult opponents.

Critical situation for Tunisian football

Lamouchi, a former French international with a professional playing career behind him, had been brought in as an experienced coach to stabilize the team. His brief tenure now ends in a sporting embarrassment, which the federation is seeking to contain with the swift separation.

For Tunisian football, the dismissal marks another low point in an already difficult phase. The expectations of fans, who had hoped for a performance similar to the strong showing in Qatar 2022, were already dashed on the first matchday. The upcoming matches against Japan and the Netherlands will show whether the team can get back on its feet under new leadership.

Meanwhile, the Swedish team has sent a clear statement with its emphatic opening victory. With five goals against a World Cup participant, "Tre Kronor" underlined its attacking power and gathered important confidence for the remaining group matches.

The Tunisian team now has to process the shock within a few days and prepare for the duel with Japan. With the planned interim coach Khazri, the intention is apparently for a player with a strong identification figure to take charge, someone who knows the team from his own experience as a long-time key performer.

Sweden sends a statement

As the federation further announced, time will be taken for a fundamental analysis after the conclusion of the tournament. The swift dismissal of Lamouchi is to be understood as a signal to the team and the public that the sporting standards expected of the national team remain unchanged.

Ultimately, the case illustrates how fast-moving the business of international coaching can be. From taking office in January to being dismissed after the first World Cup match, not even six months passed—a period in which the Frenchman achieved one victory, but failed to deliver any lasting stabilization of the team.