SHOCKING: Tunisia Sack Coach Sabri Lamouchi After Humiliating 5-1 Defeat in World Cup Opener

Following a devastating 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) terminated coach Sabri Lamouchi contract just five months into his tenure, making him the first coaching casualty of the 2026 World Cup,

Lamouchi, who was appointed in January 2026 to lead the Carthage Eagles into the tournament, saw his defensive tactical setup completely unraveled by Sweden's ruthless attack. An early mistake by the goalkeeper allowed Yasin Ayari to open the scoring, followed quickly by an Alexander Isak counter-attack strike. While Omar Rekik handed Tunisia a lifeline just before the break off a Hannibal Mejbri assist, a second-half defensive collapse capitulated into further goals from Viktor Gyökeres, Mattias Svanberg, and a second from Ayari.

The heavy defeat marks one of the most lopsided results in Tunisia's tournament history and follows a worrying trend of form, including a 5-0 drubbing by Belgium in their final warm-up match. Beyond the poor results on the pitch, reports indicate that significant dressing-room tension and altercations had been brewing at the team hotel, making Lamouchi's position untenable.

In a post-match press conference just hours before his dismissal, a dejected Lamouchi labeled the performance "painful" and admitted that his side made far too many errors to compete at this level.

With the federation wielding the axe, the Carthage Eagles have made World Cup history by recording the swiftest managerial termination of the 2026 edition. Attention now shifts rapidly to salvaging their group-stage campaign.

The Federation has officially confirmed that plans are already underway to appoint former manager Mondher Kebaier as the national team coach on an interim basis. Kebaier, who previously led the team from 2019 to 2022, will be expected to immediately steady the squad tactically and psychologically.

Tunisia will have less than a week to restructure and find an emotional reset before they walk out for a must-win Group F encounter against Japan, before wrapping up their grueling group stage against the Netherlands.