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Tunisia made it into the news during the 2026 FIFA World Cup after replacing coach Sabri Lamouchi with Hervé Renard immediately after their 1st group stage match. However, this was not the first time that Tunisia replaced their coach in the middle of a FIFA World Cup. And before another team replaces their coach mid-tournament, it is a great idea to play a game like crash at the 1xBet website.
During the 1998 tournament in France, they dismissed head coach Henryk Kasperczak before their final group-stage match. The decision came after the North African side lost its opening 2 matches and was eliminated from contention for the knockout stage.
Tunisia entered the 1998 World Cup with optimism. The team had qualified impressively under Polish coach Henryk Kasperczak, who had been in charge since 1994. During his tenure, Tunisia reached the final of the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations and returned to the World Cup for the first time since 1978. Expectations were therefore higher than in previous tournaments, even though Tunisia had been drawn into a difficult Group G alongside 3 tough rivals:
- England;
- Colombia;
- and Romania.
The campaign began on 15 June 1998 with a 2-0 defeat to England. 5 days later, Tunisia was defeated 1-0 by Colombia. Despite creating several chances, the Tunisians failed to score, and Leider Preciado’s goal condemned them to a second consecutive defeat. With 0 points after 2 matches, Tunisia was mathematically eliminated from the competition.
Trying to salvage their honor
The Tunisian Football Federation reacted immediately by dismissing Kasperczak before the team’s final group fixture. Assistant coach Ali Selmi was appointed caretaker manager for the remainder of the tournament. Interestingly, Tunisia was not alone in making such a decision in France in 1998. Saudi Arabia dismissed Carlos Alberto Parreira after 2 games, while South Korea fired Cha Bum-kun following a humiliating 5-0 defeat to the Netherlands.
Under Selmi, Tunisia produced its best performance of the tournament, earning a 1-1 draw against Romania in Marseille. Skander Souayah converted a penalty to give Tunisia its only goal and only point of the competition. Although the result came too late to alter the team’s fate, it allowed Tunisia to leave France with a measure of pride.