Hervé Renard’s brief stint as Tunisia’s emergency coach came to a disappointing end on Sunday as the Carthage Eagles were dismantled 4-0 by a dominant Japan side, confirming their elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after just two group-stage matches.
The result at Estadio Monterrey marked Japan’s biggest-ever World Cup victory margin and also served as the 1,000th match in World Cup finals history.
Goals from Daichi Kamada, a brace from Ayase Ueda, and Junya Ito sealed a comprehensive win for the Samurai Blue, who controlled possession and outshot Tunisia significantly.
Renard, the two-time AFCON winner parachuted in days earlier after Tunisia’s humiliating 5-1 opening defeat to Sweden, had just a handful of training sessions to reorganize a side reeling from defensive woes and low morale.
Despite his trademark charisma and calls for collective perfection and resolve, the team could not stem the tide.
Japan took the lead in the 4th minute through Kamada and never looked back. Ueda added a clinical finish and a brilliant header, while Ito rounded off the scoring.
Tunisia’s defense, which had already shipped five goals in the opener, looked fragile once more, and the Eagles failed to mount a meaningful response.
The 48-team format had offered Tunisia a theoretical path to the knockout rounds even after the Sweden thrashing, but this result leaves them with zero points and a mountain of goal difference to overcome.
Their final group match against the Netherlands is now a formality, with progression all but impossible.
Renard, who previously guided Morocco and Saudi Arabia at World Cups, had spoken of the immense motivation in taking the challenge with little preparation time.
“We must respect them, but not fear them,” he said of Japan ahead of the clash. His players, however, could not deliver the united block he demanded.
For Tunisia, the campaign has been a disaster
Nine goals conceded in two games, a mid-tournament coaching change, and an early exit that will sting deeply for a nation with proud World Cup pedigree, including a memorable run to the group stage in 2018 under different circumstances.
Japan, meanwhile, bounced back strongly from a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands. With four points, they sit comfortably in contention to top Group F and advance.
Ayase Ueda’s performance earned him man-of-the-match honors.
The defeat raises fresh questions about Tunisian football’s direction, while Renard’s short-term intervention—though unable to produce miracles—adds another chapter to his colorful international coaching career.
For the Carthage Eagles, the dream is over in Mexico.
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