Two goals from Ueda, plus strikes by Kamada and Ito, sealed the fate of Tunisia and their new coach Hervé RenardPerhaps the manager wasn’t the problem after all. Tunisia sacked Sabri Lamouchi after last week’s 5-1 defeat to Sweden, appointing Hervé Renard as their seventh manager since qualifying began. But it turned out a diffident side lacking defensive conviction is a diffident side lacking defensive conviction whoever has to do the press conferences. Tunisia were well beaten by a Japan side inspired by the centre-forward Ayase Ueda, who scored twice and led the line with intelligence and imagination. Renard had just three days with his players since replacing Lamouchi. Renard performed heroics to win the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia in 2012 and three years later became the first manager to win two Cups of Nations with different teams as he ended Côte d’Ivoire’s 23-year trophy drought.Attempts to break into the mainstream of French football with Sochaux, Lille and the France women’s team have faltered and the 57-year-old seems to have accepted that his role now is with aspirant nations in Africa and the Middle East rather than at the apex of the European game. Renard still wears his trademark white shirt but whatever luck it may once have brought seems to have worn off. Not that this mess could, in any realistic sense, be blamed on Renard. He’s just the well-remunerated sap paid to try to explain how Tunisia are out of the World Cup already. Continue reading...

Tunisia have turned to two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner Herve Renard to revive their 2026 World Cup campaign after a disastrous start which saw Sabri Lamouchi sacked after one match.

Herve Renard is reappointed manager of the Saudi Arabia men's national team following Roberto Mancini's departure.

Former Italy coach upset players and attracted fans’ ire; he now leaves a team struggling for World Cup qualification Just before full time in Saudi Arabia’s 0-0 draw with Bahrain in a vital 2026 World Cup qualifier earlier this month, fans in Jeddah started to hold up phones with Roberto Mancini’s face on the screen with “out” written below. There was lengthier communication after the match as the Italian exchanged gestures with supporters behind the dugout and, as he exited the pitch at the King Abdullah Sports City, it was pretty clear that Mancini would not be coming back. The 59 year-old was seemingly an upgrade on his predecessor, Hervé Renard. There was the same European sophistication and suavity but Mancini had won Serie A and the Premier League and arrived in Riyadh in August 2023 two years after leading Italy to European Championship glory. The job description was not solely about taking the Green Falcons to the knockout stages of the World Cup – success at the 2027 Asian Cup was just as important. Saudi Arabia is hosting the tournament for the first time and wants a first win since 1996 as the country gears up for the 2034 World Cup. Continue reading...

Nigeria are narrowing down their options in the hunt for a new manager, with Herve Renard still a contender to replace Finidi George.

A bid by Ivory Coast to bring back Herve Renard as coach for the rest of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is rejected by France.