Sabri Lamouchi has been dismissed as Tunisia manager in the middle of a World Cup qualifying campaign, joining a small and unfortunate group of coaches who have been relieved of their duties mid-competition.

The sacking is a bitter blow for Lamouchi, but history shows he is far from the first coach to find himself out of a job while a World Cup cycle is still underway. A select few managers before him have experienced the same abrupt end to their tenures during qualifying.

Tunisia's federation moved to make the change with the campaign still ongoing, a decision that underlines the pressure national associations place on results at every stage of the road to a World Cup — not just in the tournament itself.

The Eagles of Carthage will now look to a new appointment to steady the ship and keep their qualification hopes alive as the campaign continues.