Tunisia hired former Morocco and Saudi Arabia World Cup manager Herve Renard to replace Sabri Lamouchi, who was fired after a 5-1 defeat to Sweden in Sunday’s World Cup opener.
Lamouchi was appointed in January. He oversaw only one victory in five matches, a 1-0 friendly win over Haiti, and his team scored only twice in his brief tenure.
Renard, 57, will have five days to prepare for Tunisia’s second Group F clash on Sunday in Guadalupe, Mexico, against a Japan side that tied the Netherlands 2-2 in their opener.
Renard managed Saudi Arabia to a shock 2-1 victory over eventual champions Argentina at the 2022 World Cup. But ensuing losses to Poland and Mexico prevented the Saudis from advancing to the round of 16.
Four years earlier, the Frenchman guided a Morocco side that failed to advance from the group stage.
Renard’s biggest successes have come in continental tournaments, steering Zambia to their only African Cup of Nations crown in 2012 and Ivory Coast to their second of three in 2015.
Most recently, Renard coached the French women’s national team to the 2023 World Cup quarterfinals, where they lost to Australia on penalties, and had a second stint leading Saudi Arabia, who he led to qualifying for this World Cup before he was fired in April.
Tunisia are attempting to advance from their group for the first time in their seventh World Cup appearance. With the expanded 48-team field in 2026, the top eight third-place group finishers will join those finishing first and second in a 32-team knockout phase that begins on June 28.
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
