Tunisia's coach, Sami Trabelsi, has been dismissed just a day after the team suffered a defeat against Mali in the last 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
Despite facing only 10 men for over 90 minutes in a match that extended into extra time, the 2004 champions were unable to secure a victory.
Early in the game, Mali’s Woyo Coulibaly received a red card, giving Tunisia an advantage, but they went ahead late, taking the lead in the 88th minute.
Unfortunately, they conceded a penalty in the sixth minute of stoppage time and ultimately faltered during the ensuing shootout.
The Tunisian Football Federation announced on social media that they had “decided to part ways by mutual consent” with the national team’s coaching staff.
Trabelsi, 57, had returned for a second spell in charge of the Carthage Eagles last February after resigning in 2013, following a disappointing early exit from Afcon. In the recent tournament in Morocco, Tunisia finished second in Group C, starting with a 3-1 victory over Uganda, but later lost 3-2 to Nigeria and drew 1-1 with Tanzania.
Reflecting on their exit against Mali, Trabelsi expressed that it brought “great disappointment and pain,” acknowledging that as coach, he definitely bore the responsibility for the team’s performance.
