Lamouchi under pressure after Tunisia’s 5-1 World Cup defeat to Sweden

By Angu Lesley

Football writer kick442.com – Cameroon

Tunisia head coach Sabri Lamouchi is reportedly facing mounting pressure after the Carthage Eagles suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a result that has triggered urgent discussions within the Tunisian Football Federation.

The story was first reported by AfricaSoccer.com, which indicated that members of the federation’s executive committee have requested an emergency meeting to assess the team’s poor start to the tournament and evaluate Lamouchi’s future in charge.

In their Group F opener, Tunisia were overwhelmed by a sharp and clinical Swedish side, with Sweden national football team exploiting defensive lapses to take full control of the match. The defeat leaves Tunisia national football team bottom of the group and already under significant pressure to respond in their next fixture.

Sweden’s attacking intensity and organisation proved too much for the North Africans, who struggled to cope throughout the 90 minutes and were repeatedly exposed at the back in what became one of their heaviest World Cup defeats in recent history.

Before the tournament, Lamouchi had expressed confidence in his squad’s readiness, insisting they were prepared physically, technically and mentally. However, after the match, he acknowledged that costly errors played a decisive role in the outcome and stressed the need for immediate improvement.

The scale of the loss has now intensified scrutiny on the Tunisian coach, with federation officials reportedly debating whether a managerial change is necessary before the next Group F match against Japan.

Tunisia now face a crucial test against Japan, knowing that anything less than a positive result could leave their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages hanging by a thread ahead of their final group match against the Netherlands.

While no official decision has been announced, the reported emergency meeting request highlights the growing uncertainty around Lamouchi’s tenure at a critical moment in Tunisia’s World Cup campaign.