Hervé Renard has been appointed Tunisia head coach after the Carthage Eagles were humiliated 5-1 by Sweden in their opening FIFA World Cup 2026 group match — making Tunisia the first nation in history to dismiss their manager after the very first game of a World Cup finals.

The federation moved with remarkable speed, sacking Sabri Lamouchi and installing Renard within days of the Group F defeat in Monterrey. Renard confirmed he needed no persuasion: "When the federation contacted me, I didn't hesitate for a second. It's a challenge that isn't easy, but it's a motivating challenge."

A race against the clock

Tunisia still have a mathematical path out of Group F, thanks to the expanded 48-team format of this World Cup. However, Renard has almost no margin for error when he takes his place in the dugout against Japan on Sunday (04:00 BST). He must tighten a defence that has now conceded ten goals in two recent matches — including a 5-0 warm-up loss to Belgium.

Renard has told his players to hold their heads high and focus on what lies ahead. "You're here to represent the country, Tunisia. It's an honour, it's a duty," he said. "We owe it to ourselves to do much better."

From cleaner to World Cup coach

Renard's path to the top of the coaching world was anything but straightforward. After retiring as a player at 29, he took on a cleaning job at a block of flats in south-east France while also coaching SC Draguignan — rising at 2:30 in the morning, finishing cleaning duties around noon, then heading to training in the afternoon.

"It was a physical job and I'm proud of having done it," he told BBC Sport Africa in 2019. "It's the best schooling I could have had. You have to go through some failures and difficult times but it makes you stronger."

He earned his coaching badges during those years, and credits that period with giving him a perspective that has served him throughout his career.

Africa's most decorated coach

Renard remains the only coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations with two different teams — leading Zambia to a fairy-tale triumph over Ivory Coast in 2012, then guiding Ivory Coast to the trophy three years later. He also led Morocco at the 2018 World Cup and masterminded Saudi Arabia's stunning group-stage victory over Argentina in 2022, despite Lionel Messi putting the eventual champions ahead early.

At 57, Renard joins a select group — alongside Bora Milutinovic, Carlos Alberto Parreira, and Guus Hiddink — to manage three different countries at three successive World Cups. He has yet, however, to guide any side past the group stage at the finals.

Zambian sports journalist Nkweto Tembwe, who covered Renard during his time with the Chipolopolo, describes him as a "workaholic" and "master tactician." "He does a lot of reading to make sure he keeps up with the trends. He studies opponents like he's studying for an exam," Tembwe told BBC Sport Africa.

A manager always in demand

Renard has repeatedly been linked with top African jobs, though his availability and wage demands have often complicated negotiations. Ivory Coast sought to bring him back during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, but the French Football Federation blocked his release. A Nigerian football official later described his financial demands as "practically outrageous" when the Super Eagles pursued him in 2024.

Tunisia become the fifth African national side Renard has led, following Angola, Zambia, Ivory Coast, and Morocco. He also served as assistant to Claude le Roy with Ghana in 2008.

Having faced Japan in World Cup qualifiers during his time with Saudi Arabia, Renard will draw on that experience as he attempts to steer the Carthage Eagles into the knockout stage for the first time in their history.