Unexpected Developments Surrounding Maïyen Chaabani's Coaching Tenure
In a surprising turn of events, Maïyen Chaabani, the head coach of the Tunisian national football team, made an unexpected trip to Morocco on Thursday evening. This sudden departure has ignited widespread speculation regarding his future in the coaching role following a tumultuous start to his tenure, which began in August when he took over from French coach Hervé Renard.
Chaabani, aged 45, faced a rocky introduction with the Tunisian team, as they stumbled to a disappointing 1-1 draw against Uganda in their opening match of Group E in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at Rades Stadium. This lackluster performance was further compounded by another disappointing result, a 2-2 draw against Botswana in their second match, leaving Tunisia with only two points from their first two qualifiers in a group that also includes Libya, where only one team will advance to the finals. These results prompted a wave of outrage and sharp criticism aimed at Chaabani and the Tunisian Football Federation for their inability to recover from the disappointment of the national team's previous performance in the 2026 World Cup.
The situation escalated further in the Tunisian camp as plans for a friendly match against Mali, scheduled for Saturday, were abruptly canceled due to disputes between Chaabani and several players. A significant altercation reportedly took place between Chaabani and striker Elyes Chaabani, which led to the latter being dismissed from the training camp. Consequently, the remaining training sessions were canceled, and players were sent back to their respective clubs.
Amid these troubling developments, rumors of Chaabani's resignation began circulating, fueled by ongoing disagreements with players and mounting pressure from fans. His appearance at Tunis-Carthage Airport on Thursday evening, where he was preparing to travel to Morocco, further intensified speculation about his potential withdrawal from his role as head coach of the national team. However, sources close to Chaabani clarified that his trip to Morocco was not an indication of his resignation but rather an opportunity to reunite with his family, who have been residing in Morocco since 2024 when he took on the coaching position at RS Berkane.
These sources also indicated that Chaabani's sudden departure followed the cancellation of the final training camp for the Tunisian national team and emphasized that he has not formally submitted his resignation. His move to Morocco was merely a personal one, given his family’s residence in the Moroccan city of Berkane. It's worth noting that Chaabani was expected to attend an urgent meeting with Tunisia's Minister of Sports, Sadok Mourali, the head of the Football Federation, Moez Nasri, and technical director Ridha Jdidi, but his absence from the meeting was due to his presence in Morocco.
As reported by eremnews.com.
