2026 World Cup: A head coach has been sensationally fired: “Furious argument after the loss”
The crushing 5-1 defeat against Sweden cost Tunisia’s head coach, Sabri Lamouchi, his job in the middle of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The 54-year-old coach, also known in Italy for his playing career with Parma, Inter, and Genoa, came under fire from the Tunisian Football Federation and was immediately replaced even before the second match.
As reported by the Tunisian radio station ‘Mosaique FM,’ the situation had already come to a head in the post-match period on Sunday night, culminating in a furious argument that continued from the field all the way back to the hotel. The extremely tense atmosphere prompted the delegation’s leadership to call for an emergency meeting to discuss the future of the head coach, who had been in charge for just five matches since his appointment in January.
To further complicate matters, a witness told the same radio station that a fan had an altercation with Lamouchi’s son, whose presence on the staff reportedly has no defined role other than that of a mere chaperone. An incident that captures the level of tension surrounding the North African national team following its heavy World Cup collapse.
The official announcement of his dismissal came on Monday evening; his position has been taken over on an interim basis by Mondher Kebaier, who previously coached the North African team from 2019 to 2022. The Tunisian Football Federation aims to realign the team ahead of the next two matches against Japan and the Netherlands, which will be decisive in the quest to secure, if not the top two spots, at least third place—which, depending on points and goal difference, could still guarantee a spot in the round of 16.
