
Carlos Queiroz, the former Bafana Bafana manager, is reportedly a contender for the head coach role of Tunisia’s national football team.
The seasoned coach, aged 71, has been without a club since departing from Qatar in December 2023. He is viewed as a leading candidate to succeed Kais Yakoubi, who managed the team during their defeat to Gambia in a qualifying match for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Despite this setback, Tunisia has qualified for the AFCON finals, which are set to take place in Morocco from December 2025 to January 2026. Nonetheless, the 2004 AFCON champions are considering changes to their coaching personnel.
Queiroz has experience in North African football, having previously been at the helm of Egypt from September 2021 to April 2022. Under his guidance, Egypt reached the AFCON final in 2022 but fell to Senegal in a penalty shootout.
Additionally, he led the Iranian national team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where they suffered losses against England (6-2) and the USA, while achieving a 2-0 victory over Wales in the group stage, which ultimately led to their exit from the tournament.
The Mozambique-born coach has a rich and varied managerial career, having taken charge of teams in Colombia, served as an assistant at Manchester United, and held managerial positions in Saudi Arabia and Real Madrid.
He also guided Bafana Bafana to the quarterfinals of the 2002 AFCON, where they were eliminated by Mali.
Additionally, Queiroz played a pivotal role in leading Portugal to the round of 16 in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where they were knocked out by the eventual champions, Spain.
If appointed by Tunisia, Queiroz’s debut match would be an away game against Liberia during the qualifying rounds for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with matches scheduled to resume in March.