Tunisia have parted ways with its national senior soccer team head coach Sami Trabelsi after the Carthage Eagles’ early exit from the ongoing 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), ending a turbulent campaign that drew widespread criticism.
The Tunisian Football Federation confirmed the development on Sunday, less than a day after Tunisia were knocked out by Mali in the Round of 16.
The fiercely contested clash finished 1–1 after extra time, before Mali prevailed in a tense penalty shootout to send the North Africans out of the continental competition.
In a brief statement, the federation disclosed that the decision was reached by mutual consent with Trabelsi and his technical crew, pointing to the team’s inability to advance beyond the last 16 stage of 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 dismissal followed mounting frustration among supporters and football analysts, many of whom had tipped Tunisia as strong contenders at the tournament hosted in Morocco.
Tunisia’s campaign began on a positive note, as the Carthage Eagles secured a convincing 3–1 victory over Uganda, briefly fuelling optimism about a possible deep run.
However, defensive shortcomings were laid bare in a 3–2 loss to Nigeria, while a scrappy 1–1 draw with Tanzania in their final group fixture further highlighted concerns over the team’s cohesion and mental strength.
Those weaknesses, according to the release, became even more apparent during the knockout stage.
Against Mali, Tunisia struck first and looked set to dictate proceedings, particularly after their opponents were reduced to ten men early on.
Despite holding a numerical advantage, the Carthage Eagles were unable to press home their dominance, allowing Mali to recover, push the game into extra time and eventually secure victory on penalties.
The early exit proved costly for Trabelsi, whose side struggled to impose themselves consistently throughout the tournament.
Tunisia’s Round of 16 elimination represented another disappointing chapter for a country that once ruled African football after lifting the AFCON title on home soil in 2004.