World Cup team lets go of their coach just days after the tournament starts
A World Cup team’s manager was surprisingly let go just a few days into the tournament. Even though the World Cup started on June 11, one country’s football association made a big decision only hours after their first game ended in a loss.
On Monday, June 15, Sweden won big against Tunisia with a 5-1 victory. Brighton’s Yasin Ayari scored twice, while Liverpool’s Alexander Isak, Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres, and Wolfsburg’s Mattias Svanberg each scored once. Tunisia’s only goal came from Omar Rekik.
Even though Tunisia still has two more Group F matches left against Japan and the Netherlands, the team’s head coach, Sabri Lamouchi, was suddenly sacked.
Spanish journalist Romain Molina shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “It’s the end for Sabri Lamouchi as Tunisia’s coach.” British reporter Ben Jacobs added that the news will probably be confirmed soon and said that Mondher Kebaier is expected to take over. Kebaier used to coach Tunisia from 2019 to 2022.
Lamouchi, who has previously managed British clubs Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City, had only coached Tunisia in five games since starting in January.
After the loss to Sweden, Tunisian radio station Mosaique FM reported there might have been a clash between Lamouchi’s son and a fan. When asked about it, Lamouchi said, “As a father and coach, I’ll answer. There might be family ties here, but my son doesn’t influence the team selection. He’s working on his thesis and doesn’t have an official role with the team now. Right now, he’s not even here; he’s with family because of Eid.”
He added, “Let’s focus on what matters—preparing for the upcoming matches against Austria and Belgium—and stop arguing over things that don’t help us. Like everyone else, I want us to reach the second round.”
Tunisia will play Japan next on June 21. Although they’ve qualified for the World Cup seven times (in 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022, and 2026), the team has never gone past the group stage.