Tunisia 0-4 Japan: Individual errors cost the Carthage Eagles as the Herve Renard bounce fails to materialise at World Cup 2026

Following a 5-1 thrashing astatine the hands of Sweden, Tunisia capitulated erstwhile again, suffering a 4-0 decision to Japan connected Sunday greeting to corroborate their aboriginal exit from the 2026 World Cup. Appointed arsenic caput manager of the Eagles of Carthage connected Tuesday to regenerate Sabri Lamouchi, Herve Renard fundamentally failed to crook the tide.

Much ado astir nothing. For the full week, the play surrounding the Tunisian nationalist squad dominated the headlines. The daze sacking of Sabri Lamouchi successful the aftermath of the 5-1 demolition by Sweden, and his highly publicised replacement by Herve Renard, had raised hopes of a extremist overhaul.

Ultimately, it wasn't to be. Trailing aft conscionable 4 minutes and wholly toothless successful attack, the Eagles of Carthage were subjected to different drubbing against Japan, crashing retired of the tourney with a crippled to spare earlier Thursday evening's clash against the Netherlands.

Familiar antiaircraft frailties connected show

It took conscionable 7 minutes for Tunisia to cave successful against Sweden; it was adjacent worse against Japan. Less than a infinitesimal was connected the timepiece erstwhile the Eagles of Carthage suffered their archetypal scare, arsenic Ayase Ueda went down successful the container nether a situation from Ellyes Skhiri, prompting punishment appeals that were yet waved distant by the referee.

That didn't halt Tunisia from folding soon after—and for bully this time. In the 4th minute, pursuing an intercepted clearance from goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen, Keito Nakamura skipped past Yan Valery earlier whipping a transverse successful for Daichi Kamada. The midfielder broke the deadlock, rising highest amidst a oversea of 4 Tunisian defenders successful the punishment area. To their credit, a flimsy nudge connected Dylan Bronn could arguably person been penalised by the officials.

The 2nd extremity besides stemmed from a botched clearance, this clip from Karim Rekik, portion Montassar Talbi afforded Ueda excessively overmuch clip and abstraction to bushed a somewhat flat-footed Dahmen. The backline past wholly misjudged the offside trap for the 3rd goal, and the 4th was the nonstop effect of cheaply conceding possession pursuing a mix-up betwixt Skhiri and Anis Ben Slimane.

Did Herve Renard's tactical tweaks wage off?

Renard opted for a 5-4-1 system, making 3 changes from the broadside Lamouchi fielded against Sweden: Dahmen replaced Chamakh betwixt the sticks, Bronn stepped successful for Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida successful defence, and Ali Tounekti, deployed arsenic a mendacious nine, was preferred to midfielder Rani Khedira.

The undisputed fig 1 during the past AFCON, Dahmen initially vindicated his caller manager's religion with a superb debased prevention to contradict Ueda, clawing the shot disconnected the enactment to forestall Japan from doubling their lead. However, helium was arguably astatine responsibility for the 2nd goal.

Bronn, meanwhile, made a important last-ditch artifact to forestall a definite extremity from a Ueda transverse aft the Japanese striker had near Talbi for dead. Nevertheless, Renard hooked him astatine half-time, bringing connected Ben Hamida, whose mediocre positioning played Junya Ito onside for Japan's third.

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???️ La réaction d'Hervé Renard après l'élimination de la Tunisie #beINFWC2026 pic.twitter.com/sjwQOtWk2t

Eagles of Carthage toothless successful attack

Tunisian fans apt didn't realise it astatine the time, but Hannibal Mejbri's audacious effort from the near flank successful the 2nd minute, which grazed the acold apical corner, would beryllium to beryllium their champion accidental of the match.

Neither Tounekti—one of Renard's boldest calls—nor Elias Saad, who started arsenic a mendacious 9 earlier making mode for Ismael Gharbi astatine the break, managed to marque an impact. The build-up play lacked gait and fluidity, offering virtually nary outlets for the antheral connected the ball.

Epitomised by a Tounekti transverse that trickled done Mejbri's legs aboriginal successful the 2nd half, the Eagles of Carthage lacked immoderate existent cutting borderline during their uncommon forays into the absorption third, finishing the crippled with a dismal 2 shots, neither of which tested the keeper.

How did Herve Renard react?

Tunisia's recently minted brag knew helium was walking into a pugnacious job, but helium surely didn't expect a nightmare of this magnitude. Initially stoic connected the touchline, his vexation yet boiled over, visibly berating his players connected respective occasions—albeit without sparking immoderate meaningful effect connected the pitch.

"We can't beryllium satisfied with a scoreline similar that. In the archetypal half, we were incapable of playing retired from the back. For the archetypal 20 minutes of the 2nd half, we did it well. And past we were excessively brushed defensively and conceded," the French tactician summarised to beIN Sports successful his post-match interview.

Publicly, the two-time AFCON victor refused to propulsion his players nether the bus, alternatively demanding a spirited effect against the Netherlands: "Obviously, morale... it's tough. But the players tried, they didn't propulsion successful the towel. We came up against a squad that was vastly superior to us. You person to excavation heavy successful these hard moments. It's particularly hard for the players. So, for this 3rd match, we'll request a spot of pridefulness to spell retired determination and springiness a bully relationship of ourselves."