Tunisia have dismissed head coach Sami Trabelsi following the Carthage Eagles’ elimination from the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, bringing an abrupt end to his tenure after a disappointing campaign in Morocco.
The decision was confirmed by the Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) on Sunday, less than 24 hours after Tunisia were knocked out of the tournament by Mali on penalties in the Round of 16, following a 1–1 draw after extra time.
In an official statement explaining the move, the federation said the decision was taken by mutual agreement with the technical staff, citing the team’s early exit from the competition.
“The Executive Committee has decided to terminate the contractual relationship by mutual consent with the entire technical staff of the national team,” the Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) said in a statement on Sunday.
The dismissal follows mounting public anger and widespread criticism of Tunisia’s performances at the tournament, where expectations were high after a promising start to the group stage.
Tunisia opened their AFCON 2025 campaign with a 3–1 victory over Uganda, a result that briefly raised hopes of a deep run.
However, those hopes were quickly tempered by a 3–2 defeat to Nigeria, before a 1–1 draw with Tanzania in their final group match left lingering concerns about consistency.
Those doubts were exposed in the knockout phase against Mali. Despite taking the lead, Tunisia were unable to assert dominance, even after Mali were reduced to ten men early in the contest.
The match eventually finished level after extra time, before Mali prevailed in the penalty shootout to end Tunisia’s tournament.
The early exit proved decisive for Trabelsi, whose side struggled to convince over the course of the competition.
Tunisia’s failure to progress beyond the Round of 16 represents another setback for a nation that lifted the AFCON title on home soil in 2004 but has since struggled to consistently match that success on the continental stage.
