Tunisia target fresh start against Japan under Renard
Tunisia face Japan in Monterrey on Sunday looking to reignite their World Cup campaign after a difficult opening defeat to Sweden.
The Eagles of Carthage were beaten 5-1 in their Group F opener, a result that left them bottom of the standings and prompted a change in the dugout ahead of their second match of the tournament.
Herve Renard has since been appointed head coach and will take charge of Tunisia for the first time. The Frenchman is no stranger to tournament football, having previously led both Morocco and Saudi Arabia at the World Cup, and now faces the task of reviving Tunisia's hopes of reaching the knockout rounds.
Japan, meanwhile, emerged from their opening meeting with the Netherlands with plenty of encouragement after earning a 2-2 draw in Houston.
Hajime Moriyasu's side twice came from behind to claim a point, with Daichi Kamada's late equaliser capping an impressive display against one of Europe's traditional heavyweights.
The Samurai Blue arrived at the tournament with growing expectations after a strong qualification campaign and remain well placed in Group F heading into the second round of matches.
Victory on Sunday would move Japan a significant step closer to the knockout rounds, while Tunisia know another defeat would leave their qualification hopes in serious doubt.
The sides have met twice in the last four years. Tunisia claimed a 3-0 victory in the 2022 Kirin Cup final before Japan responded with a 2-0 win in Kobe the following year.
With Sweden and the Netherlands also competing for qualification, neither side can afford to lose ground in Group F.
Tunisia predicted lineup:
Chamakh; Valery, Rekik, Talbi, Ali Abdi; Skhiri, Khedira; Achouri, Hannibal, Gharbi; Chaouat
Japan predicted lineup:
Suzuki; Taniguchi, Watanabe, H Ito; Sugawara, Kamada, Sano, Nakamura; Doan, Maeda; Ueda
