Tunisia face Japan with Renard in charge and World Cup hopes hanging

Japan Sunday, everything on the line

Tunisia face Japan on Sunday morning in a match your team cannot lose (1) (3) (4). The 5–1 defeat to Sweden in the opener has left zero margin. Another slip and the World Cup is over at the group stage.

Hervé Renard takes the sideline for the first time. Two days. That is how long he has had with this squad since replacing Sabri Lamouchi, sacked after the Sweden collapse (2). Mid-tournament coaching changes are almost unheard of at a World Cup. Renard knows the stage, he stunned Argentina with Saudi Arabia in 2022.

The Sweden loss was ugly. Alexander Isak ran the show, and Graham Potter promised afterwards there is more to come from his side (5). Tunisia conceded five. The federation acted within hours.

Now it is Japan. Win or go home, effectively.

Fan reactions

The mood is fractured. On r/soccer, some fans point to the Sweden result as evidence Tunisia were the weakest side in the group, while others wait to see if Renard can produce another World Cup miracle. The Japan match thread on r/Gunners is drawing neutrals curious whether Renard's appointment was desperation or genius.

Read the discussion on Reddit