World Cup 2026: Tunisia sack Lamouchi – Has a Super Eagles coach ever been fired mid-tournament?

Tunisia have made unwanted Mundial history after dismissing head coach Sabri Lamouchi just days into the 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, Afrik-Foot reports.

While Morocco have made positive impact in North America, Tunisia have entered the record books for an ugly reason.

The Tunisian Football Federation confirmed on Monday night that Lamouchi had been relieved of his duties following the Eagles of Carthage’s crushing 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening Group F match in Monterrey, Mexico. The result left Tunisia at the bottom of the group and made Lamouchi the first coach in World Cup history to lose his job after only one match at the tournament.

The warning signs had appeared before the World Cup. Tunisia were beaten 5-0 by Belgium in a friendly earlier in June, raising concerns about the team’s defensive organisation. Reports from within the camp also pointed to disagreements between Lamouchi, federation officials and some senior players over squad selection.

Appointed in January 2026 to replace Sami Trabelsi, the former France international spent just five months in charge. He oversaw only five matches, recording one victory, one draw and three defeats before his dismissal.

Tunisia has moved quickly to appoint experienced French coach Hervé Renard until the end of a tournament which has been difficult to watch for many Nigerians.

World Cup: Has Nigeria ever sacked a Super Eagles coach during a major tournament?

Despite the Nigeria Football Federation’s reputation for frequent coaching changes, the Super Eagles have never dismissed a senior national team coach in the middle of a major tournament such as the FIFA World Cup or Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria’s most notable coaching exits have usually happened either immediately after elimination or shortly before a tournament begins.

Shaibu Amodu experienced this twice with the Super Eagles, one of the most successful African teams in World Cup history. After Nigeria finished third at the 2002 AFCON in Mali, he was dismissed shortly after the competition ended. Eight years later, he guided the Eagles to another AFCON bronze medal in Angola but was again removed before the World Cup in South Africa.

In December 2021, Gernot Rohr was sacked only weeks before the delayed 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, with Augustine Eguavoen taking charge for the tournament. Eguavoen himself left his role after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup following a playoff defeat to Ghana.

Even at youth level, Nigeria have generally waited until a competition ends before making changes. Manu Garba’s departure from the Golden Eaglets in 2019 came after the team’s elimination from the FIFA U-17 World Cup, not while the tournament was still ongoing.

The closest Nigeria have come to a rapid coaching change in recent years was Finidi George’s 47-day spell in 2024. However, the former Ajax winger’s resignation followed poor World Cup qualifying results and occurred outside a major tournament.

While coaching instability has often been part of Nigerian football, Tunisia’s decision to remove Lamouchi after a single World Cup match remains a step the Super Eagles have never taken.