Tunisia fire coach after disastrous World Cup start

Tunisia have dismissed head coach Sabri Lamouchi just one day after the team's crushing 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup.

According to reports, the Tunisian Football Federation took the decision during an emergency meeting on Monday following the team's disappointing start to the tournament.

The move makes Lamouchi the first coach to lose his job during the ongoing World Cup.

Tunisia's struggles had begun even before the tournament, suffering a 5-0 defeat to Belgium in a pre-World Cup friendly. The latest heavy loss reportedly prompted federation officials to lose confidence in the coach's ability to turn the team's fortunes around.

Lamouchi was appointed after Tunisia's exit from the Round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations, replacing Sami Trabelsi. During his brief tenure, he oversaw only five matches, beginning with a 1-0 victory over Haiti before results deteriorated.

Tunisia are scheduled to face Japan in their second Group Stage match on Saturday and are expected to appoint a new coach before then.

Former Tunisia winger Wahbi Khazri has emerged as a leading candidate to take charge of the national team.

TZ