Sabri Lamouchi’s World Cup lasted one match, and the memory has clearly not left him. The former France midfielder, appointed Tunisia coach in January, was dismissed after the side’s 5-1 defeat to Sweden in the 2026 group stage, ending a brief and painful spell before he felt he had been given the chance to build anything.
Lamouchi, 54, said the experience would remain with him for the rest of his career. He believed Tunisia were still alive in the contest when they trailed Sweden 2-1, arguing that an equaliser looked more likely than a third Swedish goal.
Instead, a costly individual error changed the direction of the evening. Ellyes Skhiri lost possession near Tunisia’s penalty area, allowing Sweden to extend their lead. Lamouchi felt his team had effectively collapsed after that moment.
A short reign and a bleak group stage
Hervé Renard replaced Lamouchi, but the change did not rescue Tunisia’s tournament. The team then lost 4-0 to Japan and 3-1 to the Netherlands, leaving the campaign with three defeats and 12 goals conceded.
Lamouchi said he had arrived convinced that he could make a difference with the national side, but suggested that commitment within the wider project may not have been shared by everyone. He compared the situation to waiting at a wedding for a lifelong partner who never arrives, a blunt description of how quickly his Tunisia job unravelled.
