Ellyes Skhiri has apologized to Tunisia fans following an embarrassing World Cup exit. The captain's team crashed out of the 2026 tournament after back-to-back group stage losses.
Japan demolished Tunisia 4-0 in their second Group F match at Estadio Monterrey Guadalupe in Mexico. This came just days after a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening fixture.
Tunisia sacked head coach Sabri Lamouchi following the Swedish debacle. Hervé Renard took over for the Japan clash but couldn't salvage the campaign.
Daichi Kamada opened the scoring early with a finish from Keito Nakamura's cross. His goal marked Japan's fastest-ever World Cup strike, breaking Shinji Kagawa's previous record from 2018.
Ayase Ueda extended Japan's lead before Junya Ito added a third. Ueda completed the rout with a late second goal to seal a dominant victory for the Samurai Blue.
Speaking to FIFA.com afterwards, Skhiri didn't mince words about Tunisia's performance. "We have to be honest with ourselves," he told reporters.
The Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder acknowledged his team simply lacked the required standard. "When we look at our last two matches, the truth is simple: we do not have the level," he said.
"That is the reality. I am truly sorry to the Tunisian people," Skhiri added, accepting full responsibility for the disappointing campaign.
He understood why supporters felt frustrated after conceding nine goals across two matches. Tunisia's early elimination meant they'd be eliminated with a match remaining.
"We apologise to our supporters. We are deeply sorry and very disappointed," the captain noted.
"We understand they are not happy at all, and apologies alone are not enough."
Skhiri stressed that words wouldn't cut it moving forward. "There is nothing else we can say.
We simply have to work, improve and show it on the pitch," he explained.
Reflecting on Tunisia's defensive fragility, he pinpointed careless mistakes as a key problem. "At this level, you cannot afford to make mistakes like that," Skhiri remarked.
The midfielder rejected the notion that effort had been lacking. "Our problem was not a lack of effort.
We simply do not have the required level right now," he said.
Japan's superior quality was evident throughout, according to Skhiri. "Japan were much better than us, and we have to congratulate them on their performance," he noted.
Tunisia finished bottom of Group F with just one goal scored across their two games. The African side conceded nine goals while earning zero points in a deeply disappointing tournament.
