John Obuh Criticises Tunisia’s Decision to Sack Sabri Lamouchi During World Cup

Former Flying Eagles coach John Obuh has criticised the Tunisian Football Federation for dismissing head coach Sabri Lamouchi during the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Lamouchi was relieved of his duties after Tunisia suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening World Cup fixture, a result that increased pressure on the former African champions.

The French coach had only been in charge of Tunisia for four matches, recording one draw and three defeats before his dismissal. He was later replaced by experienced coach Hervé Renard, who has previously managed national teams including Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire.

Reacting to the decision, Obuh questioned the timing of the move, arguing that changing coaches during a major tournament rarely produces positive results.

“I’m not an advocate of making changes in the middle of a tournament, it does not make any sense,” Obuh told Footy Africa.

The former Nigeria U20 coach suggested that Tunisia’s decision indicated there were already doubts about Lamouchi before he was appointed.

“But such a thing is already pre-planned. If you see any country behave like their federation did, they had a doubt earlier on before they gave him the mantle to lead the team,” he added.

Tunisia will now hope Renard can quickly stabilise the team as they continue their World Cup campaign. Their next challenge will be against Japan on Sunday.

The coaching change has sparked debate over whether national teams should show more patience with managers during tournaments or act quickly when results fall below expectations.