Lamouchi and Renard.. The Numbers Reveal Tunisia's Crisis Goes Beyond Changing the Coach

The Tunisian national team's exit from the 2026 World Cup was not just an early elimination from the group stage, but it revealed a deeper technical crisis than merely changing the coach during the tournament. After a harsh 5-1 defeat against Sweden under the leadership of Sabri Lamouchi, the Tunisian Football Federation decided to bring in French coach Hervé Renard in hopes of salvaging what could be saved in the remaining two matches.

However, the gamble did not succeed, as the "Carthage Eagles" suffered a new defeat against Japan with a score of 4-0, leading the team to exit the competition officially without any points. This opened the door to many questions about the impact of changing the coaching staff at such a critical time.

Lemouchi.. A heavy defeat and modest numbers.

Statistics from the match against Sweden reveal that the Tunisian team struggled in terms of performance, despite having some balanced periods during the game.

Tunisia held 49% of the ball possession compared to Sweden's 51%, but they were the less effective side in creating chances, with an expected goals rate of only 0.28 compared to 1.33 for the Swedish team.

The Tunisian national team was limited to only 6 shots compared to 13 for their opponent, and they had 2 shots on target compared to 7 Swedish shots between the posts.

Sweden also excelled in creating dangerous opportunities, with 4 chances compared to none for Tunisia, which explains the significant difference in the final score, especially with the defensive errors that cost the team five goals.

Renard... the mission hasn't changed and the result remains the same.

On the other hand, Hervé Renard entered the match against Japan under difficult circumstances and significant pressure, but he was unable to bring about the expected change.

The figures showed a greater decline on the offensive level, as Tunisia held possession of the ball for only 38% compared to Japan's 62%, and managed only two attempts throughout the match without any shots on target.

The expected goals rate for the Tunisian team was only 0.05 compared to 2.07 for Japan, while the "Carthage Eagles" created one chance compared to 9 chances for the Japanese team.

These figures confirm that the Tunisian national team faced significant difficulty in reaching dangerous areas, given the Japanese dominance in controlling the game, possession, and creating opportunities.

Was changing the coach the solution?

When comparing the two matches, the picture becomes clear; the Tunisian team was the lesser side in most offensive and defensive metrics, whether against Sweden or Japan.

It is true that Renard took on the task under exceptional circumstances and during the tournament itself, but the numbers do not show a significant improvement after the change in the coaching staff; rather, they confirm the continued struggle in terms of creating opportunities and the ability to keep up with competitors.

Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the crisis to just the name of the coach, as indicators point to deeper issues related to the team's readiness and technical level compared to the competing teams in the tournament.

The numbers reveal that the Tunisian national team was the lowest in most of the key indicators during its matches against Sweden and Japan, whether under the leadership of Sabri Lamouchi or Hervé Renard.

Between the 5-1 defeat against Sweden and the 4-0 loss to Japan, the change in coach did not have a clear impact on the results or performance, which requires the Tunisian Football Federation to conduct a comprehensive review of the technical project after the end of the 2026 World Cup.