Tunisia manager Lamouchi becomes first WC26 casualty, reportedly sacked after loss to Sweden
Tunis, June 16
Tunisia have reportedly sacked their manager Sabri Lamouchi just one game into their FIFA World Cup campaign following a brutal 5-1 loss to Sweden in their campaign opener.
The North African side was left absolutely exposed in terms of their defence during their campaign opener against Sweden on Sunday, making it one of Tunisia's worst results at the international level. A brace from Yasin Ayari and strikes from Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Mattias Svanberg piled up misery on Tunisia, who could manage just one strike by Omar Rekik in the 43rd minute.
According to French journalist Romain Molina, quoted by Goal.com, the Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) acted swiftly and terminated Lamouchi's deal after the match ended. While the on-field results did play a role, it is also reported that a significant level of dressing room tensions also played a role in the coach's dismissal. He is the first manager to be dismissed during the ongoing World Cup.
Lamouchi's stint with Tunisia ends with just five matches in the dugout across all the competition. Looking ahead, Tunisia, which is appearing in their sixth World Cup, could witness their former manager Mondher Kebaier, taking over the reins on an interim basis.
Also, former Sunderland and Tunisia star Wahbi Khazri is also among the frontrunners to take the all-important post.
However, whoever the manager be, it would be important for Tunisia to sort things out really quickly, with quality opposition like Japan (June 21 at Guadalupe, Mexico) and the Netherlands (June 26 at Kansas City, US) awaiting them. In their previous five WC appearances, Tunisia has never managed to make it past the group stage.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, Tunisia looked clueless in defense. Sweden just walked through them. Dressing room tensions usually mean players didn't respect the coach. But sacking mid-tournament? That's just asking for more chaos. Japan and Netherlands will destroy them now. 😬
First casualty of WC26 and it's not even been a week. Lamouchi was a good coach for Ivory Coast in his day but maybe Tunisia was a step too far. The 4-0 loss to Sweden was just the final nail. Wonder if Khazri will take over - he's a legend but inexperienced.
I remember Tunisia did decent in previous WCs, even held England to a draw in 2018. This is rock bottom for them. The FTF should've waited till after the tournament. Now they have no time to build chemistry. Morocco showed African teams can compete, but Tunisia is regressing.
Five matches in charge and he's gone. That's brutal. But when you lose 5-1 and your players are fighting amongst themselves, something has to change. At least they're trying to salvage something. I just hope Kebaier or Khazri can steady the ship, but this WC is probably over for Tunisia.
This is like what happens in Indian cricket sometimes - one bad match and coach gets the boot. But in football, tactics take longer to implement. Lamouchi wasn't given a fair chance. Tunisia should have stuck with him through the tournament. Now it's just chaos.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.