NEW YORK — Tunisia will take inspiration from Cape Verde‘s draw with Spain as they look to launch their FIFA World Cup salvage act against Japan in Monterrey on Saturday, according to newly appointed head coach Herve Renard.
Renard was jetted in to replace coach Sabri Lamouchi after Tunisia’s opening 5-1 defeat to Sweden, an insists that he hasn’t arrived in the camp with a magic wand that can immediately transform the Carthage Eagles’ fortunes.
The Tunsians turned to Frenchman Renard to try and launch a most unlikely revival, bringing with him his experience of pulling off unlikely feats in international football.
“The big example for us is Cape Verde’s draw with Spain, maybe the biggest favourites in this competition,” Renard told journalists.
“This has to give us hope that when you’re well organised, together, when you can compete with strong motivation [you can pull off results].
“We also saw DR Congo drawing with Portugal, which was a fantastic result for an African team. Ivory Coast were very good as well, and we have to follow this example and not be scared by anything.
“If we don’t believe that we can win the game tomorrow, we should simply go home.”
Renard’s reputation for pulling off unlikely triumphs – winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia in 2012, ending Ivory Coast’s years of underachievement to win the same competition in 2015, masterminding Saudi Arabia‘s giant-killing of Argentina at the 2022 World Cup – have given him a reputation of being something of a miracle worker in the international game.
However, the head coach insists that it’s only through less esoteric qualities that Tunisia stand any chance of escaping the group.
“There are no magicians in football,” he continued. “There is work, preparation, being good and efficient in the moments that matter.
“Against Japan, we’ll need to be collectively perfect. We must respect them, but not fear them. We have to find the resolve deep in ourselves in order to succeed in this match.
“We must give the smile and hope back to our people [back home], who are still coming out of the disappointment of our last match.”
Renard’s primary challenge this week has been restoring the players’ mental state after a fractured World Cup build-up in which they were demolished 5-0 by Belgium in a pre-tournament friendly, before the wretched showing against Sweden.
Reports of dissent in the camp as well as tensions between players, federation officials and media all contributed to Lamouchi’s exit after an unhappy five-month tenure, but Renard is determined for the team to put recent discontent behind them.
“We need to live in the present. There must be a response and we must show our pride. We want to turn the page as quickly as possible,” Renard concluded. “We need to return to the basics, to essential things like rigour, discipline, the collective.
“Each of the players in the 26, whether they are starters or not, must be determined to bring something to the team. Our only hope is the collective.
“We have the spirit of revenge. Our collective force must be irreproachable to go against this team. We must be a determined team who want to advance together and defend together. That’s the key for tomorrow.”
After the Japan match, Tunisia conclude their Group F campaign against the Netherlands in Kansas City on June 25.
This is their seventh tournament appearance, with the Carthage Eagles having won three of their 19 matches at the competition, and never before having advanced past the group stage.
