Gabonese football has been thrown into mourning following the tragic death of international striker Aaron Boupendza, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 28 after falling from the 11th floor of a building in China.
The country’s football federation, Fegafoot, confirmed the incident in a statement shared on X.
“The Gabonese international died following a fall from the 11th floor of his building in China, where he was playing for Zhejiang FC,” the statement read.
Boupendza, who once lit up the Africa Cup of Nations with his attacking flair, is remembered as a gifted goal-scorer.
“Aged 28, Boupendza leaves us with the memory of a great striker who left his mark on the CAN (Africa Cup of Nations) in Cameroon.”
During the 2022 AFCON tournament, Gabon’s campaign ended in the round of 16 after a narrow loss to Burkina Faso.
Offering words of comfort, Fegafoot added: “Fegafoot and the entire Gabonese football family offer their sincere condolences to his biological family.”
Gabon’s president-elect, Brice Oligui Nguema, also paid tribute on social media.
“It is with immense sadness that I learn of the tragic death of Aaron Boupendza, a talented centre-forward who brought honour to Gabonese football,” he posted on X.
According to Gabon 24, the details surrounding the fatal fall remain unclear, and authorities have launched an investigation to determine what led to the tragic event.
Boupendza was born in Moanda and began his professional career in France with Bordeaux in 2016. Much of his early years were spent on loan to several French clubs.
He found significant success in Turkey, where he became the top scorer for Hatayspor in the 2020, 21 season. His journey later took him to Qatar’s Al Arabi, where he lifted the Qatar FA Cup, then to Saudi Arabia with Al Shabab.
He also played in Major League Soccer with FC Cincinnati and in Romania with Rapid Bucharest before making the switch to Chinese side Zhejiang FC earlier this year.
