Tunisia coach Sabri Lamouchi was sacked on Monday following his side's 5-1 loss to Sweden in their Group F clash at the World Cup. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/File Photo Tunisian football authorities sacked coach Sabri Lamouchi and replaced him with fellow Frenchman Hervé Renard, in the wake of the 5-1 defeat by Sweden in their World Cup opener in Monterrey on Sunday.
The Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) confirmed the decision just one game into the campaign.
Lamouchi, the first coaching casualty of the tournament, was appointed in January on a contract until 2028. He leaves the post with matches ahead against Japan on Saturday and the Netherlands on 25 June.
/file/attachments/2993/UP1EM3V18SO4N_247405.jpg "Frenchman Hervé Renard will replace Lamouchi until the end of the World Cup. (REUTERS/Marko Djurica)")
Tunisia won just one of their five games under Lamouchi, beating Haiti 1-0 in March, while losing 1-0 to Austria and being thrashed 5-0 by Belgium in a pair of World Cup warm-up matches this month.
In a statement on social media on Tuesday, the TFT said Renard would take charge until the end of Tunisia’s World Cup campaign.
“The agreement also stipulates that negotiations will be opened after the World Cup campaign to consider a long-term partnership based on specific sporting objectives,” it added.
The country’s state-owned broadcaster Télévision Tunisienne reported that Renard would arrive in Monterrey later on Tuesday to link up with the squad.
Renard, twice an Africa Cup of Nations winner, coached Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and led them to a famous victory over eventual champions Argentina in the group stage.
He left to coach the French women’s team at the World Cup in 2023 and the Paris Olympics, before returning to Saudi Arabia and helping the men’s side qualify for a third successive World Cup.
‘Oppressed’ Iran affected by travel curbs
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said his team were being “oppressed” due to last-minute travel changes stemming from tensions between Iran and the US, adding that the disruption had affected their performance after a 2‑2 draw with New Zealand.
The Iranian Football Federation had negotiated a late move of the team’s base camp from Arizona to Mexico amid uncertainty over US visas and a growing sense that the squad’s presence in the US should be kept to a minimum, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico has told Reuters.
/file/attachments/2993/2281194766_572054.jpg "Iran fans display a message in memory of 168 people killed in Minab in a US airstrike on 28 February, during the Fifa World Cup 2026 Group G match against New Zealand in Los Angeles. (Photo: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)")
Ghalenoei, 62, said they had suffered further disruption, with Iran expecting to remain in Los Angeles overnight on Monday, but instead being required to return immediately to Mexico.
“We’re supposed to stay here tonight to recover and return tomorrow lunchtime, but they haven’t permitted us,” Ghalenoei said. “To be honest, I have no idea why. I think perhaps our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup.”
He did not say who had imposed the restriction.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fifa also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
/file/attachments/2993/2281816844_453846.jpg "Iran's Mohammad Mohebbi (No 8) heads to score the team's second goal of the 2-2 draw against New Zealand. (Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)")
The run-up to the match had been one of drama away from the pitch, with the team playing on US soil barely 24 hours after a peace deal was announced to end the war between the US and Iran.
Iran forward Mehdi Taremi said the restrictions were preventing them from playing their best at the tournament.
“It’s not good for us. I think it’s not good for football,” he said. “I think Fifa have to help us more than this.”
Rushed pre-match atmosphere
Taremi described a rushed atmosphere on Sunday, with travel from Tijuana to Los Angeles, then to their hotel and finally to the stadium to see the pitch. They should have had two days to settle in to Los Angeles, he added.
“It’s so bad and it affects our team and we just want peace,” said Taremi, adding that Fifa President Gianni Infantino had visited the Iran changing room on Monday.
Coach Ghalenoei also highlighted the absence of key backroom staff, with some officials and media unable to travel due to visa restrictions, leaving coaches to take on additional responsibilities on the bench.
“Our management team, many of them aren’t here,” he said.
“We had to deal with those roles ourselves.”
Despite the disruption, Ghalenoei praised his players for their resilience in earning a draw, though he said the travel demands had taken a toll with several players suffering cramp, which he linked to fatigue from the extra travel. Reuters/DM