“Davis is voor mij bijna de eerste naam op het blad,” zei OH Leuven coach Timmy Simons to Gazet van Antwerpen after his side defeated KV Mechelen 2-0.
The praise followed left-back Davis Opoku’s omission from Gill Swerts’s Belgium under-21 squad for the November international fixtures, a decision that baffled his club manager.
Opoku was left off the under-21 roster despite earning regular minutes and putting in strong performances for OH Leuven since the season began. Simons told Gazet van Antwerpen that he expected the 19-year-old defender to make the cut based on his defensive and attacking qualities.
The defender previously served as a regular starter for Belgium’s under-19 team, making his absence from the higher age category a notable snub for the club.
Simons directed pointed remarks at Belgian Football Association sporting director Vincent Mannaert and under-21 coach Gill Swerts following the squad announcement. He argued that the governing body risks losing the player entirely if they fail to call him up soon.
“Heel jammer voor het werk dat hij levert en we moeten oppassen dat hij geen andere keuze gaat maken,” Simons said, according to Gazet van Antwerpen. “Want dan is het kot weer te klein.”
Opoku holds Ghanaian roots alongside his Belgian upbringing, leaving him eligible to represent the Ghana senior national team or youth sides internationally. Simons voiced concern that the delay in recognizing Opoku at under-21 level could push the teenager toward a career with the Black Stars.
The OH Leuven coach emphasized that the association needs to act quickly to secure the teenager’s long-term international future for Belgium.
Belgium’s under-21 squad prepares for its November fixtures without Opoku, while OH Leuven returns to league action following their victory over KV Mechelen.
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