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3 min readJun 16, 2026 03:50 PM IST
Saudi Arabia's head coach Herve Renard reacts during the World Cup group C soccer match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia in Lusail, Qatar, Nov. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)
Hervé Renard has been appointed Tunisia head coach until the end of the FIFA World Cup after replacing the sacked Sabri Lamouchi in the wake of the country’s 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their tournament opener in Monterrey.
The Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) confirmed Renard’s appointment on Tuesday, saying the 56-year-old would take immediate charge of the team ahead of their remaining Group F fixtures against Japan and the Netherlands.
“The agreement also stipulates that negotiations will be opened after the World Cup campaign to consider a long-term partnership based on specific sporting objectives,” the federation said in a statement.
According to state broadcaster Television Tunisienne, Renard was expected to arrive in Monterrey later on Tuesday to join the squad and oversee preparations for Tunisia’s must-win clash against Japan.
Lamouchi becomes the first managerial casualty of the tournament despite taking charge only in January on a contract that was due to run until 2028. His tenure lasted just five matches, producing a solitary victory – a 1-0 win over Haiti in March. Tunisia also suffered a 1-0 defeat to Austria before being thrashed 5-0 by Belgium in a World Cup warm-up earlier this month, with the heavy loss to Sweden ultimately prompting the federation to make a change.
Renard arrives 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, guiding Zambia to a historic triumph in 2012 before leading the Ivory Coast to the title three years later.
The Frenchman also enjoyed a memorable spell with Saudi Arabia, masterminding one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history when his side defeated eventual champions Argentina 2-1 in their opening group-stage match at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. He subsequently 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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Renard helped Saudi Arabia qualify for a third successive World Cup before being replaced by Georgios Donis in April, less than two months before the tournament.
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