MONTERREY — Tunisia coach Hervé Renard says Cape Verde’s stunning draw against Spain has given his team belief ahead of Saturday’s crucial World Cup clash against Japan.
Renard, appointed earlier this week after Tunisia’s 5-1 defeat to Sweden, said the tournament’s biggest surprise so far showed that underdogs can compete against the world’s best teams.
“When you are organized and together, you are able to compete,” Renard said. “We have to follow this example and not be scared of defeat.”
Cape Verde, making its World Cup debut, held European champions Spain to a goalless draw on Monday, producing one of the biggest shocks of the opening round.
Renard said Tunisia must earn at least a point against Japan to keep alive hopes of reaching the knockout stage for the first time in the country’s seven World Cup appearances.
The 57-year-old Frenchman is coaching at his third men’s World Cup after previous spells with Morocco in 2018 and Saudi Arabia in 2022, where he led the Green Falcons to a memorable 2-1 victory over eventual champions Argentina.
Renard replaced Sabri Lamouchi after Tunisia’s heavy defeat to Sweden and has had only a few days to prepare the team.
“I’ve met with an open-minded group,” Renard said. “They want their revenge. We know that we must go above and beyond against this Japanese team.”
Japan enters the match ranked 17th in the FIFA rankings, 37 places above Tunisia, and has not lost since a friendly defeat to the United States in September 2025.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu expects a significantly different Tunisian side under the new coach.
“Renard will bring out the best in the players,” Moriyasu said. “He is definitely firing up the players. We are prepared to face an entirely different team.”
Renard’s passionate team talks have become part of his reputation, particularly his famous halftime speech that inspired Saudi Arabia’s comeback victory over Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.
The Frenchman, who won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015, dismissed suggestions that he can work miracles.
“I am no wizard,” Renard said. “The coach is not the key; the key is the players.”
Source: Saudi Gazette