News Focus
- Japan thrashed Tunisia 4-0 in the 1,000th FIFA World Cup match in history
- Forward Ayase Ueda scored two goals and created another in a dominant display
- New Tunisia boss Hervé Renard lost his first match just three days after taking charge
- Tunisia exit the tournament following a second heavy defeat after losing 5-1 to Sweden
- The match took place in Monterrey despite severe flooding at the stadium the day before
New managers rarely face tougher starts. Hervé Renard took charge of Tunisia only three days before this fixture, yet he could not stop his side from collapsing against a ruthless Japan team. The North Africans looked fragile at the back throughout the contest, offering little resistance as their opponents secured a comfortable victory.
Renard replaced Sabri Lamouchi after Tunisia suffered a humiliating 5-1 loss to Sweden. The French coach has built his reputation on miracles, having won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia in 2012 and then repeated the feat with Ivory Coast three years later. However, his return to international management began with a nightmare result.
This fixture marked a special moment for world football. It was the 1,000th match in World Cup history, stretching back to the inaugural games in Uruguay in 1930. The contest in Monterrey came 96 years after those first kick-offs in Montevideo. Heavy thunderstorms had flooded the stadium grounds 24 hours earlier, leaving mud across the approach roads, but the pitch remained playable.
Japan attacked from the first whistle. They should have won a penalty within 70 seconds when Ellyes Skhiri clipped Ayase Ueda inside the box, but Romanian referee István Kovács ignored the appeal and VAR did not intervene. The Japanese did not wait long for compensation. After four minutes, Keito Nakamura crossed from the left wing, and Daichi Kamada diverted the ball into the net via a deflection.
Renard stood on the touchline with a look of shock as his team fell apart. Japan nearly scored twice more in the opening ten minutes. Takehiro Tomiyasu saw his shot cleared off the line by Dylan Bronn, while goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen produced a fine save to deny the defender moments later.
The second half brought no relief for Tunisia. Ueda doubled Japan’s lead with a clever finish before setting up Junya Ito for the third goal after 69 minutes. The striker completed his brace late on with a looping header that sailed over the goalkeeper. Renard watched replays on a tablet during a drinks break, his expression showing deep frustration with his team’s defensive organisation.
Tunisia now face an early flight home. They have lost both group matches and cannot progress further. Renard must prepare his squad for a final dead rubber against the Netherlands, though his own future remains uncertain after such a disastrous beginning.