Gabonese international footballer Aaron Boupendza has tragically passed away at the age of 28, following a fall from the 11th floor of a building in China, the Gabonese Football Federation (Fegafoot) confirmed on Wednesday.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Fegafoot announced:
The Gabonese international died following a fall from the 11th floor of his building in China, where he was playing for Zhejiang FC.
The federation remembered Boupendza as “a great striker who left his mark on the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon,” referring to his impressive performance at the 2022 tournament, where Gabon advanced to the Round of 16 before being eliminated by Burkina Faso.
Fegafoot extended its sympathies to his loved ones, stating:
Fegafoot and the entire Gabonese football family offer their sincere condolences to his biological family.
Gabon’s President-elect, Brice Oligui Nguema, also expressed his sorrow in a message posted on X:
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.
Gabon 24, a national broadcaster, reported that the circumstances surrounding the fall remain unclear. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
Born in Moanda, Boupendza began his professional career with French club Bordeaux in 2016. He spent much of his early years on loan at various French clubs before rising to prominence at Turkish side Hatayspor in 2020, where he emerged as the Super Lig’s top scorer in the 2020–21 season.
His career later took him across several leagues around the world, including stints at Al Arabi in Qatar—where he won the Qatar FA Cup—Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia, FC Cincinnati in the United States, and Rapid Bucharest in Romania. Boupendza signed with China’s Zhejiang FC in January 2025.
His sudden passing marks a heartbreaking loss for Gabonese football and the global football community.