January 25, (THEWILL) – Tunisia national football coach Jalel Kadri has resigned from his role following the team’s poor performance at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ivory Coast. The Tunisians finished last in their group, failing to meet Kadri’s pre-tournament goal of reaching the semi-finals.
The 52-year-old announced his decision in a televised interview after Tunisia’s final group stage match against South Africa ended in a 0-0 draw on Wednesday. “This is my decision and it’s in my contract,” Kadri stated, referencing a clause requiring the team to make the AFCON semi-finals.
Kadri took over as Tunisia’s interim manager last January, days before their round of 16 match against Nigeria at the 2021 AFCON. He was hired permanently after Tunisia lost to Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Tunisia secured a major upset by defeating defending champions France but still failed to advance from the group stage.
The manager offered his resignation after the World Cup but had his contract extended by 12 months. Kadri took full responsibility for Tunisia’s AFCON disappointment, admitting their opening loss to Namibia affected them psychologically.
Kadri becomes the sixth manager to leave his post during a tournament filled with upsets and shocking results. With Kadri’s departure, Tunisia joins Ghana, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Gambia and Tanzania, in undergoing a managerial change either during or immediately after AFCON.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
