‘We must do better’ – Belgian-Ghanaian Jeremy Doku lashes out at teammates after World Cup qualifying draw
Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku criticised his Belgium teammates following their World Cup qualifying draw with Kazakhstan, insisting the team must improve ahead of the next fixture.
Doku, who is of Ghanaian descent, was visibly frustrated after Chelsea striker Dastan Satpaev, 17, put Kazakhstan ahead before Hans Vanaken equalised.
Despite Kazakhstan playing with ten men for part of the match, Belgium failed to secure a winner, leaving qualification for next summer’s World Cup still uncertain.
Satpaev currently plays for Kairat and will join Chelsea when he turns 18, highlighting the growing talent in Kazakhstan’s ranks that troubled Belgium.
Doku did not hold back in his post-match assessment. “We’ve already dropped too many points because we weren’t good enough in a large number of matches,” he said.
He added that responsibility lies with everyone in the squad. “Our campaign hasn’t gone well, no. Everyone needs to do better. The coach, me, everyone. Kevin, Romelu, Thibaut,” he said.
The winger reflected on tactical errors and preparation lapses. “We looked at this team and thought they would play long but then they played short and started playing football. It was a completely different match than last time,” Doku explained.
He acknowledged that Belgium may have underestimated their opponent. “Maybe we didn’t analyse our opponent enough,” he added, highlighting the importance of focus and strategy in critical qualifiers.
Belgium now must beat Liechtenstein on Tuesday to secure qualification for the World Cup, leaving little margin for error as Doku urges collective accountability and sharper performances.
