Gabon's top scorer's tragic death: a chilling account of final hours

Posted : 18 April 2025

Shocking revelations have surfaced about the death of Gabonese football star Aaron Bopandze, who tragically passed away in China. A close friend and roommate named Abdul has shared voice messages that have quickly circulated across Gabonese social media and online forums. These audio clips give a deeply emotional and disturbing account of the final days of the national team striker, suggesting that prolonged abuse of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, significantly impacted his mental health and ultimately led to his suicide.

Bopandze fell from the 11th floor of his residential building in Hangzhou, China, ending his life at the age of 28. His football career spanned several countries — from France to the United States — and he notably became the top scorer in Turkey during the 2020-21 season. The talented striker had stints in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Romania, playing for clubs such as Rapid Bucharest, and accumulated over €18 million in earnings throughout his journey. He also represented Gabon 34 times on the international stage.

Abdul, who joined Bopandze in China last March, said he quickly noticed troubling habits. He claimed the footballer frequently consumed substances, with a heavy dependence on nitrous oxide via balloons. Despite multiple warnings about the risks, Abdul said his concerns were dismissed. “He was always inhaling gas from balloons,” Abdul recalled. “I kept telling him, ‘You’re an athlete — this could destroy your life.’”

Unfortunately, those warnings fell on deaf ears. According to Abdul, Bopandze had already become addicted. “I told him I couldn’t keep living with him if he wouldn’t stop,” Abdul said. “But he shot back, saying I wasn’t there to judge him and that he could handle any problem himself.” As time went on, the footballer began skipping training sessions, raising red flags within the club and among his friends. Abdul even recounted an incident where Bopandze fainted after receiving a massage — just hours before his death.

In the days leading up to the tragedy, Bopandze's condition worsened. Abdul shared a particularly distressing moment when he found the striker hiding in the kitchen late at night. “He knew I would stop him from using the gas, so he locked himself in,” Abdul explained. “When I forced the door open, I found him in a terrible state — he had soiled himself. I cleaned him up and put him to bed.”

On the day of his death, Abdul noticed that Bopandze was acting erratically. “He kept pacing and making strange requests — asking for water, an omelette, even my cologne,” he said. These unusual behaviors hinted at serious emotional distress, though Abdul could not have predicted what was to come.

In a heartbreaking final moment, Abdul described how Bopandze locked himself in his room before making a run for the balcony. Despite Abdul’s desperate attempts to stop him — even saving him twice — the footballer managed to break free on the third try, delivering a sharp elbow and leaping to his death. Chinese authorities later questioned Abdul and confirmed his account through both neighbor testimonies and security footage, which supported the tragic chain of events leading to Bopandze’s fall.

Gabon's top scorer's tragic death: a chilling account of final hours

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