Tunisian media attacks the Eagles of Carthage

Tunisian media outlets have launched a scathing attack on the national team's disappointing performance at the World Cup following two heavy defeats against Sweden and Japan in Group F, amid calls for sweeping reforms to Tunisian football. Tunisia suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss to Japan after a historic 5-1 defeat to Sweden, marking their worst start to a World Cup campaign in their seven appearances. The website "Al-Sabah News" described the team's performance against Japan as "shameful and humiliating," adding that "despite the change of coach, the team was easy prey for their opponents due to the players' lack of spirit and technical ability." The website continued, "The Samurai Blue found themselves in a training session, toying with the Tunisian defense and, with it, the honor of Tunisian football, which frankly deserves decisive action to eradicate this mediocrity and launch a genuine reform process." The French-language newspaper "La Presse" also criticized the collapse of the national team's defense, which conceded a record number of goals, the worst in the team's World Cup history. The newspaper wrote on its website, "The 2026 World Cup has turned into a nightmare for Tunisia. The Carthage Eagles entered the tournament with big dreams, but they were met with a harsh reality, conceding nine goals in two matches." The French version of the website "Tunis Digital" commented, "Regardless of the results, what is worrying is the manner of the defeat, and with it, the image of Tunisian football once again unable to translate hope into consistent performance." The website continued, "The painful thing is not the defeat itself, as even a footballing powerhouse can fall to a stronger opponent, but what is worrying is the path the team is taking and the repetition of the same scenario." The newspaper "Al-Chourouk" stated on its website, "Now that the team's elimination is confirmed, its goal in the next match is to end its participation honorably against the Dutch national team before returning home."