Two national team coaches lost their jobs following poor performances and eliminations from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), currently ongoing in Morocco.
These coaches were dismissed due to the underwhelming performance of their teams, one despite qualifying for the knockout stage, and another after exiting at the group stage.
This article highlights the performances of the two coaches that led to their dismissal.
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Sami Trabelsi (Tunisia)
Coach Sami Trabelsi was shown the exit door a day after his team was knocked out by Mali in the Round of 16 of the 2025 AFCON.
Tunisia began their campaign on a strong note, beating Uganda 3–1 to secure three points in their group, raising hopes of continued success.
However, their story quickly turned sour when they lost 3–2 to the Super Eagles of Nigeria, though they showed resilience with a late goal to avoid an embarrassing result.
Their final group game ended in a disappointing 1–1 draw against Tanzania, earning them four points and qualification to the knockout stage.
The 2004 champions played against 10-man Mali for more than 90 minutes in a match that went to extra time in Casablanca, after Woyo Coulibaly was sent off early for dissent.
Tunisia eventually lost on penalties, a result the FA deemed unacceptable, leading to Trabelsi’s dismissal.
The Tunisian Football Federation announced on social media that it had “decided to terminate the contractual relationship by mutual consent” with the national team’s technical staff.
The 57-year-old had taken charge of the Carthage Eagles in February 2025 for a second time, having previously resigned in 2013 after Tunisia were knocked out in the AFCON group stage.
Thierry Mouyouma (Gabon)
Former Gabon defender, Thierry Mouyouma endured a disastrous AFCON campaign, losing all three group-stage matches and failing to progress to the knockout stage as anticipated.
The team lost 1–0 to Cameroon, suffered a 3–2 defeat to Mozambique, and finally fell 3–2 to Côte d’Ivoire despite taking a 2-0 lead, marking one of their worst outings ever.
In response to the poor performance, the government announced the dissolution of the entire technical staff and suspended the national team until further notice.
“Given the dishonorable performance of the Panthers during the Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, and considering the multifaceted effects that are the antithesis of the ethical and exemplary values promoted by the Fifth Republic, the Government has decided:
“To dissolve the technical staff; to suspend the National Team until further notice; and to remove players Bruno Ecuellé Manga and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the squad,” portions of the statement read.
SB/JE
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