Having topped their group in the last three WCQ campaigns, Belgium knew a victory was needed to keep pace with North Macedonia and Wales at the top of Group J.
Rudi Garcia’s side dominated possession in a one-sided opening half-hour, but Charles De Ketelaere blazed wastefully over the bar from close range and Kevin De Bruyne saw a pair of efforts smartly saved by Mukhammedzhan Seysen in the visitors’ goal.
Belgium remained firmly on the front foot with HT approaching, but more profligate finishing from De Ketelaere and Maxim De Cuyper continued to prove frustrating for the home faithful.
However, their fortunes soon changed on the stroke of the interval, with two goals in as many minutes.
First, De Bruyne swept a sublime strike into the top corner from De Ketelaere’s lay-off, before Doku cut inside his marker on the left wing and fired a clinical finish beyond Seysen to double Belgium’s lead.
Garcia’s men carried their momentum into the early stages of the second half, and they duly added a third in the 51st minute when Nicolas Raskin tapped home at the back post after good work from Doku.
The one-way traffic showed no signs of slowing down, with Belgium extending their advantage further on the hour mark as Doku drilled a composed left-footed finish into the far corner for his second of the evening.
Kazakhstan looked to avoid further damage heading into the closing stages, with Seysen standing firm to deny Alexis Saelemaekers and De Bruyne.
However, Belgium completed the rout with two goals in the final six minutes, when De Bruyne converted from Saelemaekers’ clever pass and Thomas Meunier curled home from the edge of the box.
As a result, Belgium move level on points with Wales, albeit having played a game less, while Kazakhstan require a minor miracle if they’re to reach the World Cup for the first time as an independent nation.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Jeremy Doku (Belgium)