2026 World Cup: Sabri Lamouchi cautions against expectations as Tunisia eye breakthrough

Recently appointed Tunisia head coach Sabri Lamouchi has moved to temper expectations around the national team’s prospects on the global stage, drawing a clear line between ambition and reality as preparations continue for the upcoming World Cup cycle.

Speaking to Tunisian media, Lamouchi acknowledged the emotional pull of past African breakthroughs but warned against unrealistic comparisons with Morocco’s remarkable run to the semi-finals in 2022.

“I am not going to tell stories by pretending we will repeat what Morocco did in 2022. But who knows, maybe one day,” he told the Tunisian media.

The comments reflect a pragmatic tone from the former midfielder, who has taken charge of a side that has consistently reached football’s biggest stage but struggled to progress beyond the opening round in all six of their previous World Cup appearances.

Tunisia remain part of a strong African contingent heading into the expanded tournament format, which is widely expected to increase opportunities for teams from the continent to make a deeper impact on the global stage.

Alongside Tunisia, Africa will be represented by Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and South Africa.

The broadened World Cup format, which increases the number of participating nations, has raised hopes across the continent that African teams can translate growing depth and talent into more sustained success on football’s biggest stage.

Tunisia has been housed in Group E alongside Sweden, Japan and the Netherlands.