Doku may leave Copa to attend the birth of his first child

Belgian striker Jeremy Doku could face a dilemma during the World Cup: the Manchester City player is expecting the birth of his first child while the tournament is still underway and intends to be present at the birth.

At 24 years old, Doku is one of the main players in the Belgium team, which debuts in the competition against Egypt this Monday (15), in Seattle. According to the Belgian press, the federation is already working on the possibility of organizing the player's return to the United States after a trip to Europe to attend the birth.

Doku revealed that his wife, Shireen, is expected to give birth in the second week of July, a period in which the World Cup will already be in the quarter-final stage. If Belgium remains in contention, the striker wants to combine participating in the World Cup with family time.

"It depends on when it happens, but it's my first child, so I would definitely like to be there," said the player.

"If you ask me what I want, my answer is that no one wants to miss the birth of their first child. But I also know that football involves many other considerations."

The striker highlighted that he has the support of the Belgian federation to find a solution.

"I know that the federation supports the players and understands their situations. Let's see what we can do," he said.

According to Belgian vehicles, a private plane to England, where the baby is due to be born, would be one of the alternatives evaluated. Doku plays for Manchester City in English football.

Another Belgian national team player experiences a similar situation. Defender Brandon Mechele is also expecting the birth of a son, but the birth is expected to take place a week after Doku's baby.

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Source: CNN