Herve Renard has warned that only a flawless collective performance will be enough for Tunisia as they attempt to rescue their World Cup campaign against Japan in Monterrey.

The French coach was parachuted in after Tunisia’s bruising 5-1 loss to Sweden in their opener, a defeat that deepened existing tensions around the squad and cost Sabri Lamouchi his job. Renard, renowned for turning underdogs into contenders, has been tasked with engineering another improbable revival.

He is drawing on fresh examples from this tournament to convince his players that a turnaround is possible. Cape Verde’s gritty draw with heavily favoured Spain has become his primary reference point.

“The big example for us is Cape Verde’s draw with Spain, maybe the biggest favourites in this competition,” Renard told reporters. “This has to give us hope that when you’re well organised, together, when you can compete with strong motivation, you can pull off results.”

He also cited DR Congo’s draw with Portugal and Ivory Coast’s strong displays as proof that African sides can unsettle the game’s elite when discipline and belief align. For Renard, those performances are a template, not an anomaly.

Despite his reputation as a miracle worker – from Zambia’s stunning Africa Cup of Nations triumph in 2012 to ending Ivory Coast’s long wait for the same title in 2015, and masterminding Saudi Arabia’s shock win over Argentina at the World Cup – Renard is adamant there will be no shortcuts for Tunisia.

“There are no magicians in football,” he said. “There is work, preparation, being good and efficient in the moments that matter. Against Japan, we’ll need to be collectively perfect. We must respect them, but not fear them.”

His first priority has been psychological repair. Tunisia’s World Cup build-up was scarred by a 5-0 thrashing by Belgium, followed by the humiliation against Sweden and reports of rifts between players, federation officials and the media. Lamouchi’s brief tenure ended amid that turmoil.

Renard has urged his squad to shut out the noise and rediscover their identity. “We need to live in the present. There must be a response and we must show our pride. We need to return to the basics, to essential things like rigour, discipline, the collective.”

With Tunisia still chasing a first-ever place in the knockout rounds after six previous group-stage exits, Renard has framed Japan as a defining test of character. “Our only hope is the collective,” he said. “We must be a determined team who want to advance together and defend together. That’s the key.”