The Tunisian Football Federation has officially announced the appointment of French-Tunisian coach Sabri Lamouchi as head coach of the senior national team until July 2028, a decision that has sparked criticism and controversy among the Tunisian fanbase.
The federation decided to hand Lamouchi the job as a replacement for Sami Trabelsi, who was dismissed following Tunisia’s early exit from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Tunisia were knocked out of AFCON 2025 at the Round of 16 stage after losing to Mali on penalties, prompting the federation to make a change on the bench.
Through its official social media platforms, the Tunisian FA confirmed that Lamouchi will lead the national team until July 2028, which includes the 2026 FIFA World Cup and also the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Lamouchi’s most recent coaching role was with Al-Diriyah in Saudi Arabia, a club competing in the Saudi Second Division, not the top flight. He left the club in December 2025.
During his playing career, Lamouchi earned 12 international caps for France. As a coach, he has managed several clubs and national teams, including Côte d’Ivoire, El Jaish (Qatar), Al-Duhail, Rennes, Nottingham Forest, and Cardiff City. His major coaching achievement came in 2016, when he won the Emir Cup with Qatari side El Jaish.
Notably, Lamouchi previously faced Tunisia at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 while serving as head coach of Côte d’Ivoire, leading Didier Drogba and his teammates to a 3-0 victory over the Carthage Eagles.
The announcement of Sabri Lamouchi as head coach was met with dissatisfaction, following the circulation of comments attributed to him in which he reportedly said that he knows nothing about Tunisia except that it is his father’s country, prompting backlash from some Tunisian supporters.
Looking ahead, Tunisia have been drawn into Group F of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The group includes the Netherlands, Japan, and the winner of Europe Path 2 (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, or Albania).
