Sabri Lamouchi Appointed Tunisia Head Coach Ahead of 2026 World Cup
The Tunisian Football Federation has officially entered a new era with the appointment of Sabri Lamouchi as the head coach of the Carthage Eagles.
The announcement, made on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, comes as a direct response to the national team’s disappointing performance at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where Tunisia was eliminated in the Round of 16 following a penalty shootout loss to Mali. Lamouchi, a 54-year-old former French international with deep Tunisian roots, takes over the reins from Sami Trabelsi, whose tenure ended shortly after the continental exit.
The federation has demonstrated a commitment to long-term technical stability by handing Lamouchi a contract that extends until July 31, 2028. This timeframe ensures that he will lead the squad through the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer and the subsequent 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Lamouchi brings a wealth of high-level experience to the role, having previously managed the Ivory Coast national team during the 2014 World Cup and held various managerial positions at clubs like Stade Rennais in France, as well as Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City in England.
His arrival is timed at a critical juncture for Tunisian football as the team prepares for the expanded 48-team World Cup in North America. Tunisia has been drawn into a challenging Group F, where they are scheduled to face the Netherlands and Japan, alongside a final opponent to be determined by the UEFA European play-off Path B.
The campaign is set to begin on June 14, 2026, with an opening fixture against the European qualifier at the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico.
Beyond his tactical credentials, Lamouchi’s appointment is viewed as a strategic move by the federation to bridge the gap between local expectations and international standards. While his playing career saw him represent France at the highest level, his heritage and previous interest from the Tunisian federation as far back as 1994 create a unique connection to the country.
He is now tasked with revitalizing a squad that showed defensive brilliance during the qualifying rounds but struggled to find clinical efficiency on the continental stage.
