'Who is preparing for the Japan match?' Tunisia coach abruptly dismissed... Shocking decision just one game after catastrophic loss to Sweden

*This content was translated by AI.

Tunisia, facing Japan, made a shocking decision. They decided to change their head coach after playing only one match at the World Cup.

On the 15th (Korea time), UK TalkSport reported that "Sabri Lamouchi, coach of the Tunisia national football team, is scheduled to be dismissed after playing just one match at the 2026 FIFA CONCACAF World Cup."

On the same day, Spanish Cadena Ser also reported that "the Tunisia Football Association decided to dismiss Coach Lamouchi just hours after a 1-5 heavy defeat to Sweden in the first match of Group F at the CONCACAF World Cup."

With this, Tunisia has now undergone its second coaching change this year. Earlier, Tunisia secured a spot in the finals with a perfect record of 9 wins and 1 draw (28 points) in 10 matches during the CONCACAF World Cup African qualifiers Group H, scoring 22 goals and conceding none. However, after being eliminated in the Round of 16 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, they dismissed coach Sami Trabelsi in January this year.

Lamouchi took over as the successor. However, there was no turnaround. Coach Lamouchi achieved only one victory in his debut match against Haiti (1-0) while leading the Tunisia national team. Afterward, they drew 0-0 against Canada, lost 0-1 to Austria, and lost 0-5 to Belgium, finishing with one draw and two defeats in three friendly matches.

The slump continued at the CONCACAF World Cup finals. On this day, Tunisia suffered a heavy 1-5 defeat against Sweden in the first match of Group F at the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup, held at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Monterrey, Mexico. Tunisia ended the first half trailing 1-2 and completely lost their defensive organization in the second half, bowing their heads.

With this defeat, Tunisia fell to fourth place, the lowest in Group F. On the same day, Japan and the Netherlands drew 2-2, each earning one point, while Sweden rose to the top of the group with three points.

After the match, Coach Lamouchi said, "It's a difficult defeat. Starting a major tournament like the World Cup with such a heavy loss is inevitably tough." He added, "We made too many mistakes. In a situation where we face world-class players like Sweden's two strikers (Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres), such mistakes cannot be forgiven."

However, Coach Lamouchi had to pack his bags without leading the team in the second match of the World Cup. Tunisia decided to replace its head coach after just one match. According to Cadena Ser, following the heavy defeat against Sweden, the Tunisia Football Association held an emergency meeting at the hotel where the Lim Won-deul-eun (CEO) team was staying, and unanimously decided to dismiss Coach Lamouchi.

The catastrophic result of this match was not the only reason. It was reported that Coach Lamouchi did not enjoy the support of some members of the squad. With poor performance compounded by internal trust issues, the Tunisia Football Association took a drastic measure mid-World Cup.

A bigger problem is the lack of a suitable contingency plan. Wahbi Khazri, Tunisia's senior coach, is a retired figure from last year and is reported to not yet possess the coaching license required to serve as a national team head coach. For reference, Khazri played as the captain of the Tunisia national team at the 2018 Russia World Cup and the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

As a result, it is reported that Tunisia will hand over the reins to Mondher Kebaier, the technical director of the Tunisia Football Association. Kebaier is currently accompanying the Tunisia national team in his capacity as technical director. He is highly likely to take on the role of head coach for the remaining schedule.

Tunisia is set to face Japan on the 21st. With the head coach changing immediately after the heavy defeat in the first match, preparing for the Japan game amidst such chaos has made Kebaier's burden even heavier.

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*This content was translated by AI.