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Tunisia’s Football Association has reportedly dismissed head coach Sabri Lamouchi following their heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden at the Estadio Monterrey in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Sweden’s Alexander Isak and Mattias Svanberg were among the scorers in the emphatic win, leaving Tunisia’s campaign in tatters just hours into the tournament.

According to a report from talkSPORT, citing journalist Romain Molina, the Tunisian FA decided to terminate Lamouchi’s contract shortly after the loss. An official announcement is said to be imminent. Veteran forward Wahbi Khazri is expected to take charge as interim coach for the remainder of the competition.

Lamouchi’s tenure had been under scrutiny even before the World Cup began. Appointed in January this year, the former Ivory Coast and Nottingham Forest manager had struggled to inspire consistent performances from his squad. Tunisia endured a poor run of form, losing both of their pre-tournament friendlies, including a 5-0 thrashing by Belgium.

The North African side have managed to win only once in 2024 — a narrow 1-0 victory against Haiti in March — a statistic that further highlights their ongoing struggles.

Speaking to the media after the loss to Sweden, Lamouchi said, “It’s a tough defeat, it’s painful to start the competition with such a heavy loss. We made far too many mistakes and, with world-class players like the two Swedish forwards, that’s unforgivable.”

Reports suggest that Mondher Kebaier, who previously managed Tunisia, is the leading candidate to take over on a permanent basis once the World Cup concludes.

This is not the first time Tunisia have dismissed a manager during a major tournament. In the 1998 World Cup, Henryk Kasperczak was sacked after losing his first two group games. Similarly, in the same tournament, South Korea’s head coach Cha Bum-kun was relieved of his duties following heavy defeats to Mexico and the Netherlands.

More recently, during the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Ivory Coast dismissed head coach Jean-Louis Gasset when it appeared they would not progress beyond the group stage. Ironically, later results ensured their qualification for the knockout rounds, though Gasset had already been replaced by that point.

Kebaier, if appointed, will be expected to stabilise Tunisia’s campaign and restore confidence within the squad after one of their most disappointing starts to a World Cup in recent memory.