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Tunisia have taken drastic measures following their 5-1 defeat to Sweden and have sacked manager Sabri Lamouchi with two World Cup 2026 group games still to play.
Lamouchi only took charge of the team in January and managed just five games before his dismissal. He won once, a 1-0 over Haiti, and the Tunisian FA announced that Mondher Kebaier will take charge on an interim basis.
Kebaier previously led the national team between 2019-2022 and will likely be in charge for the rest of the World Cup campaign in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Tunisia play Japan in their second group game on Saturday before facing the Netherlands.
The news of Lamouchi’s sacking was announced on Instagram with the Tunisian FA posting a statement which reads: “An agreement has been officially reached to dismiss coach Sabri Lamouchi.
“Plans are under way to appoint Mondher Kebaier as the national team coach [on an interim basis].”
Rumours of discontent with Lamouchi have been growing since before the World Cup began and a 5-0 defeat to Belgium in their final warm-up match could have spelled the end for the 54-year-old then.
Tunisia decided to stick with Lamouchi but a terrible performance in their opening group stage game, in which Sweden ran riot with goals from Yasin Ayari (x2), Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Mattias Svanberg.
(AP)
Managerial departures during a major tournament are not common but they have happened before with Tunisia also having set a precedent. In 1998, they sacked Henryk Kasperczak after two games with the nation failing to win them both.
Cha Bum-kun also lost his job with South Korea during the same tournament, while Julen Lopetegui was sacked by Spain just two days prior to the 2018 World Cup.
Tunisia have never made it out of the group stages at a World Cup and they now face an uphill battle needing to take points off both Japan and the Netherlands in their next two games.
