Tunisia's emergency coach Herve Renard declared he had "no regrets" about accepting the role despite a disastrous World Cup 2026 campaign that saw the North African side finish bottom of Group F without a point.
Tunisia's World Cup 2026 Campaign Ends in Defeat
Tunisia suffered a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in Kansas City on Thursday, following heavy defeats against Sweden (5-1) and Japan (4-0). The team failed to score more than one goal in any match and conceded a total of 12 goals across three games.
Renard, 57, was hired just last week after the Tunisian Football Federation fired Sabri Lamouchi following the opening loss to Sweden. The veteran French coach was unable to turn the team's fortunes around.
Renard's Frank Assessment of Tunisia's Quality
Speaking after the defeat to the Netherlands, Renard gave a blunt evaluation of Tunisia's performance. "We were not at the level for this World Cup," he said. "This is clear. There is no discussion. It's a big tournament with very good teams, especially in this group. It was a very tough group. And now, the federation of Tunisia needs to sit down and analyze everything."
Renard emphasized that he had "absolutely" no misgivings about taking the job despite the flop. "I already spoke to the players, I thanked them. It wasn't easy. We have the feeling that football is easy when you're a player. But when you're in this type of psychological situation, it's not easy to tackle the last months, especially when it's against a very strong team in an amazing stadium, the crowd is packed with orange. So it was a difficult moment."
A Rocky Road to the World Cup
Tunisia had an impressive run through African World Cup qualifying, remaining unbeaten and not conceding a single goal. However, their form deteriorated sharply. They were eliminated in the round of 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, and their preparation for the World Cup was marred by instability.
Renard, who has coached several African national teams including Zambia, Ivory Coast, and Morocco, was non-committal about his future. "The federation called me for a very short mission," he explained. "We agreed on that deal and rather than stay on my couch, watching this amazing event from very far away, I thought, 'Well, you know, I've got nothing to lose'."
