Tunisia has sacked head coach Sami Trabelsi following the Carthage Eagles’ early exit from the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, drawing the curtain on a turbulent campaign that ended in disappointment and public frustration.
The Tunisian Football Federation disclosed the decision on Sunday, less than 24 hours after Tunisia was eliminated by Mali in the Round of 16.
The tightly contested class ended 1–1 after extra time before Mali edged the North Africans in a dramatic penalty shootout.
In a brief statement, the federation stated that the decision was taken by mutual agreement with Trabelsi and his technical staff, citing the team’s failure to progress further in the tournament.
“The Executive Committee has decided to terminate the contractual relationship by mutual consent with the entire technical staff of the national team,” the CAF website quoted FTF as saying.
The move comes amid growing anger among fans and pundits, who had expected Tunisia to mount a serious challenge in Morocco.
Their early run was encouraging, as Tunisia opened their campaign with an impressive 3–1 victory over Uganda that briefly reignited belief in a deep tournament run.
However, inconsistency soon crept in.
A 3-2 loss to Nigeria showed defensive flaws, while a labored 1-1 draw against Tanzania in their last group match cast doubt on the team’s balance and durability.
According to the announcement, those concerns came into clear focus during the elimination phase.
Tunisia seized the lead against Mali and appeared to be in control, especially after their opponents were relegated to ten men early on.
Despite their numerical advantage, they failed to capitalize, allowing Mali to fight back and force extra time before winning on penalties.
Trabelsi’s early elimination was decisive, as his team struggled to establish a continuous presence throughout the campaign.
Tunisia’s elimination in the Round of 16 is another gloomy chapter for a country that once dominated African football after winning the AFCON trophy at home in 2004.
More than two decades later, the search for continuous continental success continues, with the federation confronting new issues about the future of the national team and who will manage its next reconstruction.
