Jeremy Doku has said he holds no resentment toward the broadcaster who criticised his decision to leave Belgium's World Cup camp for the birth of his first child, a decision that briefly overshadowed his side's run to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
The Manchester City winger's wife, Shireen, was expecting to give birth during the second week of July, and before the tournament began he told that he planned to leave the squad for the birth regardless of how far Belgium had progressed. According to that report, Doku explained his reasoning directly, saying:
It's my first child, so I would definitely want to be there. Nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child.
What did the journalist say?
L'Equipe channel presenter France Pierron drew sharp criticism after describing a father as "completely useless" at the moment of his child's birth. Coverage from The Athletic reported that Pierron went further, calling a father's presence "unnecessary" and describing him as "just an extra" during childbirth, remarks that turned into the central flashpoint of the backlash. The same report noted that Belgian outlet De Morgen framed the row as a "generations clash" over Doku's dilemma, reflecting how the debate split opinion along generational lines in Belgium.
L'Equipe subsequently apologised, stating that Pierron's comments were "very far removed" from the channel's values. Pierron herself apologised and was taken off air until the end of the current season of her show. Per the BBC's reporting, she later described her remarks as "a personal opinion" and said she had never intended to diminish the role fathers play alongside their partner and child.
How did Doku respond?
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Doku said he understood why the timing of events had raised questions among fans and observers.
There was a lot of noise of course. I can understand why people felt like maybe this was orchestrated because it was too perfect. I also saw the journalist speak about me and the situation and all the people getting at her. But I just wanted to use this video as well to really... pray over her. I don't want to come at her in a way that most people did. I don't want people to be too harsh on her. We don't know what she has experienced. It's her opinion. She got fired and all these things. I never want this for a person. I'm not against her. I'm not angry at her or anything. She just said her opinion.
What happened with Belgium at the World Cup?
Doku featured for 86 minutes in Belgium's opening 1-1 draw with Egypt in Group G before sitting out the following fixture, with the absence initially attributed to illness. He then missed Belgium's goalless draw with Iran in order to fly back to the United Kingdom for the birth of his son, Praise. A Belgium statement later clarified that the 24-year-old had travelled to London "with the approval of and accompanied by one of our team doctors."
According to a report from Yahoo Sports, Praise was born on a Monday, and Doku posted a brief message thanking God before pledging to rejoin the Belgium camp. Belgium went on to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament with Doku part of the squad.
Has Doku said anything else about Belgium's campaign?
In further comments reported separately, Doku has since been critical of Belgium's broader World Cup qualifying form. According to Flashscore, Doku said the team "weren't good enough" during qualifying, pointing to dropped points against Kazakhstan and stating that everyone connected with the squad, including the players and the coach, needed to improve.
What happens next?
With his son's birth now behind him, Doku's next step in this storyline was his expected return to the Belgium national team camp, according to the Yahoo Sports report, allowing him to rejoin his teammates as the squad continued its World Cup campaign.
Key Facts
- Doku missed Belgium's 0-0 draw with Iran to be present for the birth of his son, Praise.
- France Pierron called a father's presence at birth "completely useless" and, per additional reporting, "unnecessary" and "just an extra."
- L'Equipe apologised for Pierron's comments; Pierron was suspended from broadcasting until the end of the current season.
- Belgium confirmed Doku travelled to London with a team doctor's accompaniment and the squad's approval.
- Doku has separately criticised Belgium's World Cup qualifying campaign as not good enough.
