The Tunisian Football Federation has announced the departure of Head Coach Sami Trabelsi following the national team’s elimination from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The decision comes after Tunisia, known as the Carthage Eagles, failed to progress beyond the tournament’s group stage. This early exit continues a troubling pattern for the team. It is now the sixth time in their last eight AFCON appearances that Tunisia has been knocked out before the quarter-final stage.
Despite often being considered a strong contender, the team’s repeated inability to advance deep into the competition has led to mounting pressure on its leadership. The federation has now acted, seeking a new path forward.
Trabelsi, 57, was only recently appointed to the role in October 2024, replacing the dismissed Faouzi Benzarti. This was his second time leading the national team. His first period as head coach lasted from 2011 to 2013. During that time, he won the 2011 African Nations Championship in Sudan and secured qualification for two AFCON tournaments in 2012 and 2013 before resigning after a group-stage exit in 2013.
A former Tunisia defender who played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Trabelsi spent the decade prior to his national team return coaching Qatari club Al Sailiya and won two Qatari Stars cups and Qatar FA Cup
With Trabelsi’s duties now ended, the Tunisian Football Federation will begin its search for a new head coach. The aim will be to rebuild the team and restore its competitive strength on the African continent.