RENARD’S TUNISIA ELIMINATED AFTER 4-0 THRASHING BY JAPAN
By Canaan Siame
Herve Renard’s first match in charge of Tunisia ended in elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as Japan thrashed the Eagles of Carthage 4-0 at Estadio Monterrey on Sunday.
It marked a new era for Tunisia, with Renard taking charge of his first game as head coach in what was also the 1,000th match in World Cup history .
The Frenchman brought in after Tunisia became the first nation to sack their manager after only one World Cup game, following a 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opener,
Japan, ranked 17th in the world and entering the contest off the back of a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, made their dominance count early.
Ayase Ueda struck a sensational finish from 18 yards in the 31st minute to put Japan two goals up , before Hayao Ito added a third with a composed finish in the 69th minute, Ueda completed his brace seven minutes from time, looping in an unmarked finish from a right-wing delivery to make it 4-0.
Tunisia managed just two shots throughout the entire match, reflected by an expected goals tally of only 0.05, while Japan registered 11 shots with five on target.
The result confirms an early elimination for Tunisia, who have now been outscored 9-1 across their first two fixtures leaving Renard with a difficult task ahead as he looks to rebuild the team for the future.
Japan move above Sweden into second place in Group F and will next face the Swedes, while Tunisia close out their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands.
#NewOnTheGo