Read 3 minutes16 Jun 2026 03:50 PM IST
Hervé Renard has been appointed Head coach of Tunisia Until the end of the FIFA World Cup, replacing Sabri Lamochi, who was sacked in the wake of the country’s 5-1 defeat by Sweden in the tournament’s opener in Monterrey.
The Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) confirmed Renard’s appointment on Tuesday, saying the 56-year-old will take charge of the team immediately ahead of their remaining Group F matches against Japan and the Netherlands.
“Negotiations will be initiated after the World Cup campaign to consider a long-term partnership based on specific sporting objectives,” the federation said in a statement.
Renard was expected to arrive in Monterrey later on Tuesday to join the team and oversee preparations for the match needed for Tunisia’s win against Japan, according to state broadcaster Television Tunisian.
Lamouchi became the competition’s first managerial casualty despite only taking over in January on a contract that runs until 2028. His tenure lasted just five matches, starting in a 1-0 win over Haiti in March. Tunisia lost 1-0 to Austria and lost 5-0 to Belgium in a World Cup warm-up match earlier this month, with a heavy loss to Sweden prompting the federation to make changes.
Renard comes with one of the strongest international coaching resumes in world football. He is the only manager to have won the Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries, leading Zambia to a historic victory in 2012 and Ivory Coast winning the title three years later.
He also enjoyed a memorable spell with Saudi Arabia, masterminding one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history as his side beat eventual champions Argentina 2-1 at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. She then took charge of the French women’s team for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Paris Olympics before returning for a second spell with Saudi Arabia.
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Reynard helped Saudi Arabia qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, before replacing Georgios Donis in April, less than two months into the tournament.