Tunisia has fired coach Sabri Lamouchi after being thrashed 5-1 by Sweden in its first match at the World Cup and appointed French coach Hervé Renard, the Tunisian soccer federation posted on its social media Tuesday and told state news agency TAP.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Sweden make statement with commanding victory over Tunisia

The 54-year-old Lamouchi had only been in charge of the national team since January.

Tunisia’s heavy loss on Sunday left the North African nation with a tough task to reach the last 32. The team’s remaining group games are against Japan on Saturday and the Netherlands on June 25.

Renard is an experienced coach who has won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia and the Ivory Coast in the past. He coached Morocco at the 2018 World Cup and Saudi Arabia in 2022 — earning a notable upset win over eventual winner Argentina — and the French national women’s team. His most recent job was another stint with Saudi Arabia’s men.

It’s not the first time Tunisia has made a mid-tournament coaching change at a World Cup. In 1998, Henryk Kasperczak was fired after group-stage losses to England and Colombia, which ruled the team out of contention for the knockout stage before its closing match against Romania.

Spain went even earlier at the 2018 World Cup, firing Julen Lopetegui two days before its first group game — against Portugal — after he was announced as the next Real Madrid coach for the following season.

Tunisia is making its seventh appearance at the World Cup, but has never advanced from the group stage.

Lamouchi is a former France international who previously coached Ivory Coast at the World Cup, in 2014. 

(FRANCE 24 with AP)