Former Major League Soccer player and Gabon national team member Aaron Boupendza has died, the Gabonese Football Federation (FEGAFOOT) confirmed on Wednesday, April 16. He was 28.
Boupendza fell from the 11th floor of his apartment building in China, according to FEGAFOOT, the governing body for soccer in his home country.
Boupendza was playing for Chinese Super League club Zhejiang FC after FC Cincinnati terminated his contract late last year.
“We are saddened to hear of the tragic passing of former FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza earlier today at his home in China,” the MLS club said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and teammates. He was a loved member of the FC Cincinnati family, and we offer our condolences to all who knew him.”
It is unknown what caused Boupendza to fall and there has been no confirmation yet as to his cause of death. Police are investigating the death as “suspicious,” according to a report from TMZ.
Boupendza scored seven goals and had two assists in 24 career MLS regular season matches for Cincinnati, helping the club win the Eastern Conference and Supporter’s Shield in 2023.
His tenure also came with some controversy, as the striker suffered a broken jaw in a bar fight with a local pro boxer in April 2024. The injury kept him off the field for some time and Cincinnati let him go in August after he missed “several weeks” of practice, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
“At 28, Boupendza is remembered as a great striker who left a lasting impression at the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon [in 2022],” FEGAFOOT said in a statement. “Trained at CF Mounana and Bordeaux in France, the Gabonese striker joined the Chinese league after a brief spell in Romania. FEGAFOOT and the great family of Gabonese soccer offer his biological family their sincere condolences in this difficult time.”
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Gabon President Brice Oligui Nguema also released a statement sharing his sadness over the death of the national team member, who spent seven years playing for his home country.
“It is with great sadness that I learn of the tragic death of Aaron Boupendza, a talented centre-forward who brought honour to Gabonese football,” he said via X. “I offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends. May God bless his soul.”
Boupendza played for 12 clubs around the world since turning pro in 2015 at age 19. He scored 89 goals throughout his club career and eight more for Gabon on the international stage.
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