Tunisia Appoint Hervé Renard as Interim Head Coach After Lamouchi Dismissal

The Tunisian Football Federation has appointed French coach Hervé Renard as interim head coach of the national team until the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following the dismissal of Sabri Lamouchi.

The decision comes just one day after Tunisia suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening Group Stage match, prompting federation officials to make an immediate change on the bench.

According to reports from Tunisian state television, federation president Moez Nasri confirmed that Renard is expected to arrive in Mexico within hours to take charge of the Carthage Eagles for the remainder of their World Cup campaign.

Renard has been without a coaching role since leaving the Saudi Arabian national team two months before the start of the tournament after a series of disappointing performances in friendly matches.

The appointment marks Renard's third consecutive World Cup as a national team coach. He previously led Morocco at the 2018 World Cup in Russia before guiding Saudi Arabia at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Interestingly, this is also the second time Renard has replaced Lamouchi at the international level. In 2014, he succeeded the Tunisian coach as head coach of Ivory Coast after Lamouchi's departure following the team's group-stage exit from the World Cup in Brazil.

Tunisia now hope Renard's extensive international experience and tournament pedigree can help stabilize the team and improve its performances as it battles to keep its World Cup hopes alive.

The Frenchman faces an immediate challenge as Tunisia look to recover from their opening defeat and remain in contention for a place in the knockout rounds.