Gabon striker Aaron Boupendza died following a fall from the 11th floor of a building in China, according to the Gabonese Football Federation.
The federation announced on said Wednesday that the 28-year-old, who represented the country at the 2022 Nations Cup in Cameroon has tragically passed on.
Boupendza joined Zhejiang FC in the January transfer window, and has been a key player for the club with four goals in six matches.
He joined the Chinese club from FC Cincinnati in MLS, where he led the team to win the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield before his contract was terminated in 2024.
The Gabonese Football Federation confirmed his death in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement reads: “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.”
According to reports, Authorities in China have launched an investigation to find out whether the fall was an accident, suicide, or the result of foul play.
“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,” Gabon president Brice Oligui Nguema said. “I offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends. May God bless his soul.”
There was no official confirmation for the cause of his death in the announcement.
Boupendza played for clubs in France, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia before his tragic death.
