Belgium’s Doku becomes father after World Cup controversy

TSN 1050’s Matt Cauz previews Canada’s crucial match against Switzerland as Alphonso Davies is expected to make his first appearance in the World Cup.

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Jeremy Doku has become a father, the Belgian football association announced Monday, days after the player’s plans to leave the World Cup to be there for the birth sparked controversy.

After consultations with medical staff, Doku was allowed to temporarily leave the Red Devils before last Sunday’s game with Iran to join his wife in London where the couple welcomed a baby boy, Praise, it said.

“Jeremy received the news before yesterday’s match that the birth was imminent,” the team’s doctor Brahim Hacene said.

Doku had already been ruled out of Sunday’s match due to illness.

“As he had already been receiving the appropriate medical treatment for several days, he was able to fly without any medical risk to be with his family during this very special moment,” the doctor said.

“Mother, father, and baby are all doing wonderfully,” he added.

Doku, who is to rejoin his teammates in Seattle on Tuesday, is regarded as one of the best young players in the Belgium squad, who have made a solid if unspectacular start to their campaign, drawing both their matches thus far.

The 24-year-old had made it clear before the Red Devils’ first match that he would have wanted to be there for the birth of his first child -- drawing criticism from some quarters.

A presenter on L’Equipe TV, the TV channel of the historic French sports newspaper, questioned the decision saying fathers were “useless” at childbirth whereas hundreds of footballers would have killed to play in a World Cup.

The comments triggered an online storm, forcing L’Equipe to apologize and distance itself from them, the presenter has been stood down from her show.

Doku started in Belgium’s first match against Egypt but struggled to make an impact before being replaced.

The lacklustre scoreless draw against Iran in Los Angeles drew scorn from Belgian media, which lambasted the team’s performance.

Belgium, who are rebuilding after their “golden generation” showed age had caught up with them in exiting at the group stage in the 2022 World Cup, can assure themselves of progressing to the last 32 with a win over New Zealand in their final group match on Friday.