TUNISIA have dismissed head coach Sabri Lamouchi just one match into their FIFA World Cup campaign following a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their Group F opener.
The Tunisian Football Federation confirmed Lamouchi’s departure on Monday, announcing that an agreement had been reached to terminate his contract.
“An agreement has been officially reached to dismiss coach Sabri Lamouchi. Plans are under way to appoint Mondher Kebaier as the national team coach on an interim basis,” the federation said in a statement.
The decision comes as Tunisia attempt to salvage their World Cup campaign after suffering one of the heaviest defeats of the tournament’s opening round.
Tunisia will now turn their attention to a crucial fixture against Japan on Saturday before concluding their group-stage programme against the Netherlands.
Lamouchi, 54, was appointed in January but had already come under pressure following a 5-0 defeat to Belgium in a pre-World Cup friendly in Brussels.
The French coach previously guided Côte d’Ivoire at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where the West African side failed to progress beyond the group stage.
Tunisia will now hope that a change in leadership can spark a turnaround as they seek to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.
(The Guardian)
