The Tunisian Football Federation officially announced the dismissal of coach Sami Trabelsi from his position as head coach of the Tunisian national team following the disappointing performance at the recent 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Carthage Eagles were eliminated from the tournament in the Round of 16 after losing to Mali on penalties, following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Trabelsi faced heavy criticism from the start of the Africa Cup of Nations due to the lackluster performance of the Tunisian team, beginning with the match against Nigeria and continuing through the Mali game, especially considering the Eagles played most of the match with ten men.
Ultimately, less than 24 hours later, the Tunisian Football Federation decided to end Sami Trabelsi’s tenure, which lasted nearly a year, after he took over the position last February, succeeding Faouzi Benzarti.
Trabelsi led Tunisia to the 2026 World Cup with a near-perfect qualifying campaign, remaining undefeated. He also oversaw a strong performance in a friendly match against Brazil in France, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
It remains unclear whether the Tunisian Football Federation will appoint a foreign coach to succeed Trabelsi, or continue its policy of relying on local coaches, a policy it has maintained for the past four years.
Tunisia has been drawn in the 2026 World Cup group with Japan, the Netherlands, and one of the teams that will qualify from the European playoffs.
