Aaron Boupendza died after reportedly falling from his apartment building. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images)
(Jeff Dean via Getty Images)
Former FC Cincinnati striker Aaron Boupendza died Wednesday. He was 28.
Boupendza’s death was confirmed by his former team, who called Boupendza “a loved member of the FC Cincinnati family.”
Boupendza died after reportedly falling out of his 11th story apartment in China, according to a statement from the Gabonese Football Federation. Boupendza was playing for Zhejiang Professional FC at the time of his death. He appeared in the team’s 3-2 loss to Shanghai Shenhua on Saturday, picking up an assist in the defeat.
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Officials are investigating the nature of Boupendza’s death.
Boupendza, who was born in Gabon, joined FC Cincinnati in 2023. He appeared in 24 games with the club between 2023 and 2024, scoring seven goals and picking up one assist. Boupendza missed time in 2024 after breaking his jaw in an off-field incident in April. Boupendza reportedly broke his jaw after getting into a fight with a professional boxer outside a bar, according to The Athletic.
That August, FC Cincinnati terminated Boupendza’s contract with the team.
Boupendza briefly spent time with the Romanian club Rapid Bucuresti after leaving FC Cincinnati. He signed a deal to play for Zhejiang in February.