Africa-Press. The Tunisian national team suffered a heavy defeat against Sweden, losing 5-1 in the first round of Group 6 in the 2026 World Cup, in a match that saw a clear Swedish superiority in both offensive and tactical aspects.
Group 6 also includes the Netherlands and Japan, while Tunisia prepares to face Japan next Sunday in the second round, seeking to correct its course after a rocky start.
Sweden started the match strongly, with Yassine Ayari, of Tunisian descent, opening the scoring with a long-range shot, followed by Alexander Isak doubling the lead after a fine pass from Viktor Gyökeres. Tunisia managed to reduce the deficit through Omar Rekik, who scored his first international goal with a header from a cross by Hannibal Mejbri.
However, the Swedish team quickly regained control, capitalizing on Tunisian defensive errors, with Gyökeres scoring the third goal after stealing the ball from Elyes Skhiri, followed by Mattias Svanberg adding the fourth, and Ayari returning to score the fifth goal in stoppage time.
Swedish Superiority in Numbers
Despite Tunisia having 51% possession compared to Sweden’s 49%, the offensive advantage was clearly in favor of the European team, which had 13 shots compared to Tunisia’s 6, with 7 shots on target for Sweden versus only 2 for the “Carthage Eagles.”
The expected goals for Sweden were 1.36 compared to 0.28 for Tunisia, reflecting the quality of chances created by the Swedish team compared to Tunisia’s lack of effectiveness, according to data from a local source.
Statistics showed Sweden’s dominance inside the penalty area, with 9 shots compared to only 2 for Tunisia, along with 19 touches inside the opponent’s penalty area compared to 10 for the Tunisian team, while 3 direct defensive errors contributed to Tunisia conceding goals.
Dismissal of Lamouchi
Following the heavy defeat, the Tunisian Football Federation decided to dismiss coach Sabri Lamouchi from his position, in a dramatic development within the team’s camp, amid widespread criticism regarding the team’s technical and physical readiness after the dismal start to their World Cup campaign.
