West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has criticized the Black Stars for influencing Mohammed Kudus’ behavior during the Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.
Kudus scored the opening goal for West Ham after connecting with Jarrod Bowen’s cut-back, giving his team a 1-0 lead in the London Derby.
However, West Ham ended up losing the match 4-1.
As the game drew to a close, Kudus was challenged by Spurs defender Micky van de Ven.
In response to the challenge and van de Ven’s gestures, Kudus reacted by poking the Dutch defender in the face and also pushing Pape Sarr.
The incident prompted the referee to review the situation with the video assistant referees (VAR), ultimately upgrading Kudus’ yellow card to a red. This marked Kudus’ first red card since 2019.
Lopetegui attributed Kudus’ unsportsmanlike conduct to his frustration stemming from Ghana’s disappointing results in the recent 2025 AFCON qualifiers, where they lost and drew against Sudan, putting their chances of qualifying in jeopardy.
“I think he brings his frustration from the national team, especially after their poor performances. He needs to improve his temperament because this can’t happen,” Lopetegui stated.
“The only way to manage frustration is to focus on the game. Such behavior can ruin matches, but I believe he will learn from this incident and improve in the future.”
The Football Association (FA) is currently considering the disciplinary action to be taken against Kudus, who is set to miss West Ham’s next three league matches.
The FA’s decision regarding his suspension is expected to be announced after the weekend.
