Following the match on 14/6, the Tunisian Football Federation convened an emergency meeting, appointing assistant Wahbi Khazri as interim coach for the remainder of the North American tournament.

The loss to Sweden extended Lamouchi's winless streak to four matches. The African team drew with Canada during the March FIFA Days, then lost to Austria and Belgium in two pre-World Cup 2026 friendlies. In total, they suffered three defeats, conceding 11 goals while scoring only one.

Coach Lamouchi had only taken charge in 1/2026, overseeing five matches and securing just one victory against Haiti. His dismissal marks Tunisia's fourth coaching change since 1/2024.

Coach Lamouchi directs during Tunisia's match against Sweden in Group F of the World Cup 2026 in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico on 14/6. *Photo: Reuters*

Following the loss to Sweden, Tunisia will next face Japan on 21/6 and the Netherlands on 25/6. They currently sit last in their group with a -4 goal difference, one point behind the two teams above them.

This is not Tunisia's first in-tournament coaching change at a World Cup. In 1998, coach Henryk Kasperczak was dismissed after two defeats to England and Colombia. Ali Selmi took over for the final match, leading the team to a 1-1 draw with Romania.

A similar event occurred with South Korea during the 1998 World Cup in France. Legend Cha Bum Kun was sacked after a 1-3 loss to Mexico and a 0-5 defeat to the Netherlands. The Asian side earned one point from the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Belgium. Kim Pyung Seok served as interim coach.

The World Cup 2026 marks Tunisia's seventh appearance at football's premier global event. The North African team has never advanced beyond the group stage. The defeat to Sweden is also the Carthage Eagles' heaviest World Cup loss, surpassing their 2-5 defeat to Belgium in 2018.

Vy Anh