Former NFF target Herve Renard appointed as new Tunisian head coach with immediate effect

FORMER Ivory Coast and Morocco manager and one-time Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) target Herve Renard has been appointed as Tunisia's new head coach following the recent sacking of Sabri Lamouchi after losing their first World cup match heavily.

Frenchman Renard, 57, is the most experienced coach worldwide when it comes to managing African teams, having coached Morocco, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Angola and now Tunisia. Back in 203, the NFF has sought to appoint him as the Super Eagles head coach but the Frenchman apparently declined the offer.

Now, Renard has taken charge of the Carthage Eagles at least until the end of the 2026 World Cup after coach Lamouchi was sacked following Tunisia's 1-5 loss to Sweden in their opening match.

Renard will arrive in Mexico tomorrow and will take charge of Tunisia's training session ahead of their next match on June 21 against Japan at the Monterrey Stadium. On June 25, Tunisia will then face the Netherlands at the Kansas City Stadium in their final group game, hoping to qualify for the knock-out stages.

In April this year, Renard was sacked by Saudi Arabia despite qualifying them for the World Cup, after falling out with the federation. He had previously managed the Saudi's in 2022, leading them to a famous 2-1 victory over Argentina in what was considered one of the biggest shock results in World Cup history.

Renard led Zambia to African Cup of Nations victory in 2012 and then managed Morocco at the 2018 World Cup. He also coached France at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and Ivory Coast at the 2015 African Cup of Nations.

It is not yet clear if Tunisia will retain Renard's services after the 2026 World Cup or what the terms of their deal are. Things may be dependent on how the rest of the World Cup goes and whether he can qualify the Carthage Eagles for the knock-out stages of the tournament.