Tunisia have appointed Herve Renard as their new head coach after firing Sabri Lamouchi just one game into the World Cup.
Tunisia dismissed Lamouchi after the north African nation fell to a 5-1 defeat against Sweden in their opening group game of the 2026 World Cup, making him the first head coach to be fired just one game into the tournament.
Renard, 57, has been out of management since being sacked by Saudi Arabia in April, bringing his second stint with the national team to an end.
The FTF announced the Frenchman had been appointed until the end of the 2026 World Cup — Tunisia have their remaining group games against Japan on June 20 and the Netherlands on June 25. Tunisia have qualified for the World Cup on six occasions but have never progressed beyond the group stage.
The FTF added the agreement with Renard stipulates that negotiations will take place after the tournament over a “long-term collaboration”.
Renard possesses significant international experience, having led Morocco at the 2018 World Cup in their first appearance since 1998, and guiding Saudi Arabia to a shock group stage win over eventual champions Argentina in 2022. He coached France during the 2023 women’s World Cup, overseeing a run to the quarter-finals.
He has also coached Zambia and Ivory Coast, winning the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with each side in 2012 and 2015 respectively.
Lamouchi had only been in charge for five months after replacing Sami Trabelsi, who left the team after they were eliminated on penalties by Mali at the last-16 stage of AFCON 2025.
The 54-year-old, who has previously managed Ivory Coast, Rennes, Nottingham Forest, Cardiff City, and Al Riyadh, described the Sweden defeat as “painful”.
“We made way too many mistakes,” he told the media after the game. “We have our pride. We need to react. We need to give a better image.”
Lamouchi won just one of his five games in charge of Tunisia, a 1-0 friendly victory over Haiti in March.
He is the second head coach that Tunisia have sacked during a World Cup group stage. In 1998, Henryk Kasperczak was fired after losing 2-0 to England and 1-0 to Colombia. He was replaced by Ali Selmi for the final group game against Romania, which Tunisia drew 1-1.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Soccer, International Football, Women's Soccer, FIFA Men's World Cup
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