Tunisia sack coach Trabelsi after AFCON 2025 exit
Tunisia have relieved Sami Trabelsi of his duties as head coach of the national senior team following the Carthage Eagles’ premature exit from the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) confirmed the decision on Sunday, less than 24 hours after Tunisia were eliminated by Mali in the Round of 16 of the tournament being hosted in Morocco.
The tightly fought encounter ended 1–1 after extra time, before Mali edged past the North Africans in a dramatic penalty shootout to seal their place in the quarter-finals.
READ ALSO: Morocco beats Tanzania to reach AFCON quarterfinals
In a brief statement, the federation said the decision to part ways with Trabelsi and his technical crew was reached by mutual consent, citing the team’s failure to progress beyond the last-16 stage.
“The Executive Committee has decided to terminate the contractual relationship by mutual consent with the entire technical staff of the national team,” the FTF said, according to the CAF website.
The dismissal follows growing discontent among fans and pundits, who had regarded Tunisia as one of the favourites heading into the competition.
Tunisia began their campaign brightly with a commanding 3–1 victory over Uganda, raising hopes of a deep run. However, defensive lapses were exposed in a 3–2 defeat to Nigeria, while a laboured 1–1 draw against Tanzania in their final group match underlined persistent issues with cohesion and consistency.
READ ALSO: Cameroon overcome South Africa in tense battle to seal AFCON quarterfinal spot
Those problems resurfaced in the knockout phase. Against Mali, Tunisia took the lead and appeared in control, especially after their opponents were reduced to ten men early in the match. Despite the numerical advantage, the Carthage Eagles failed to capitalise, allowing Mali to regroup, force extra time and eventually triumph on penalties.
The early elimination proved decisive for Trabelsi, whose side struggled to assert authority throughout the tournament. Tunisia’s Round-of-16 exit marks yet another setback for a nation that last tasted continental glory when it won the AFCON on home soil in 2004.
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