The Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) dismissed head coach Sabri Lamouchi after just one match at the 2026 World Cup, a day after the North African side suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their Group F opener in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 15.
The 54-year-old coach, a former France international, was removed from his post after Tunisia’s players made multiple errors and conceded heavily. The FTF has appointed Mondher Kebaier as interim coach. The 56-year-old, who previously led Tunisia from 2019-2022 and has been technical director since last year, will take charge for Sunday’s match against Japan, also in Monterrey.
Before his dismissal, Lamouchi admitted: 'This is a difficult, painful defeat. Starting the tournament with such a bad loss is really very bad. We made too many mistakes.'
Lamouchi had been under pressure since Tunisia lost 5-0 in their final warm-up match against Belgium. He also faced media scrutiny over the presence of his son in the team’s training camp despite not being an official member of the squad.
In Group F, Tunisia still faces Japan and the Netherlands in their remaining group matches. The Netherlands and Japan played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in their opener in Dallas on June 14. Before leaving, Lamouchi said: 'We have self-respect. We need to respond. We need to show a better image.'
Lamouchi holds dual Tunisian and French nationality. As a player, he represented Auxerre, Monaco, Parma, Inter Milan and Marseille. His coaching career began with Ivory Coast at the 2014 World Cup, where his team beat Japan in their opener but were eliminated after a late loss to Greece in the final group match.
This is the second time Lamouchi has experienced World Cup heartbreak. In 1998, he was omitted from France’s final squad for the home World Cup by coach Aime Jacquet, where Les Bleus won their first world title.
Lamouchi later managed Rennes, Nottingham Forest, clubs in Qatar, Cardiff City and a team in Saudi Arabia. He was appointed by Tunisia in January on a two-and-a-half-year contract, following the team’s disappointing campaign at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
