Aaron Boupendza is ready for challenge of MLS, and to score goals
If you were to meet FC Cincinnati’s newest striker off the pitch, you might never know he is an all-world quality soccer player. He speaks kindly, has a friendly smile and a smart sense of style, but he does not overpower you with some sense of bravado. Confidence, sure, but not arrogance.
On the pitch, though, his quality is undeniable and evident to all who watch.
Aaron Boupendza, The Orange and Blue’s newest Designated Player, has arrived and is ready for any challenges that Major League Soccer may throw his way.
“I am just excited to start with the team, help them achieve their objectives,” Boupendza said at his introductory press conference, then added through an interpreter, “I am ready for the pressure and take it as a challenge as a performer.”
Boupendza comes to The Queen City by way of the Saudi Pro League, where he played in 20 matches for Al-Shabab FC and scored 13 goals; he’s also played for clubs in Qatar, Turkey and France, terrorizing goalkeepers at every stop along the way and scoring 63 goals in 138 professional games since making his senior career debut for CF Mounana in his native Gabon’s first division.
Known for his left lightning foot, the 26-year-old is a dominant on-field performer. While he is known particularly for goal scoring, his skill as a forward isn’t limited to just that; he holds up under pressure on the ball, can run in space and operates excellently inside the opposing box to create space for others.
But above all, his arrival at FC Cincinnati comes, in large part, due to his personality off the pitch and in the locker room. His light, positive and fun-loving demeanor meshed well with the group already in place and was a major factor in the club’s initial interest in the player.
“A big part of the process since we’ve taken over is really betting on the character of the player,” FC Cincinnati general manager Chris Albright said of Boupendza at his introductory press conference. “I think the players that we’ve consistently brought in have a high character and are good teammates … ’can you be additive to a group that’s in the position that we’re in?’ That’s something we wanted to figure out very early on. And that box was checked after (a meeting).”
The boxes that Albright is looking to check off?
“It’s really just being selfless. It’s being self aware. It’s knowing what you’re good at and what you’re not. … It’s no different than how you would judge a character of someone you work with. It’s what our parents sort of taught us when we were young … if you know how to say please and thank you and hold the door for someone, you’re probably going to work in our building. So that’s kind of how we go about it.”
Boupendza has already been integrated into the team’s fabric, with teammates actively and eagerly assisting the onboarding process. Before his arrival, midfielder Obinna Nwobodo messaged Boupendza on Instagram to tell him about the team and MLS. The two played against each other while in the Turkish Süper Lig.
“(Nwobodo) explained everything we had in the city and the culture of Cincinnati,” Boupendza said. “Everything that came along with the city was very appealing.”
Fellow forwards Dominique Badji and Sergio Santos have acted as impromptu translators at times, as Boupendza’s English is very solid, but his first and preferred language is French.
“I think it just shows you the character of the group we have,” Albright said. “Everybody’s willing to pull them along and understand it’s a little bit like being a new kid at school. And especially when there’s a lot of expectations on the new kid at school that can be even tougher.”
The jump to MLS was one that Boupendza saw as a challenge based on the other players who had made a move before him, specifically referencing players like David Villa, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and now Lionel Messi.
“For me it was more motivation,” Boupendza said. “The staff gave me confidence and explained the life here, so for me I am very happy to sign with Cincinnati and MLS.”
The striker joins a first-place club in the middle of its championship campaign, a pressure-filled opportunity for any player to come into, especially for a player being profiled the way he is. But Boupendza instead sees it as a challenge.
“I am just excited to help the team,” Boupendza said before his first match. “I am ready for the pressure, I am ready for the challenge and I welcome it.”
The striker has now placed his name in the history of FC Cincinnati by scoring in his MLS debut against Nashville SC on July 15, becoming the fifth player in Orange and Blue to accomplish the feat.
But pressure is not what Boupendza felt when being subbed on in the 75th minute; it was excitement. He announced himself with authority, unleashing that signature left-footed screamer that Nashville SC could only deflect away … almost an easter egg or teaser trailer of what could come in the future from FCC’s newest striker.
But the moment was not lost; the self-proclaimed performer would not let the night slip away.
After being told of the FCC supporters and the atmosphere in his new home grounds of TQL Stadium, Boupendza was ready to meet the moment and scored in the match’s final moments to secure The Orange and Blue’s 3-1 victory. A moment italicized by his uproarious celebration that also earned him his first yellow card in MLS.
For excessive celebration.
“It was amazing!” Boupendza said with a laugh and a tone of disbelief after his debut. “I could not control my emotions! I just ripped off my jersey, and I wanted to go jump in with the fans. To see a culture like this … I am just happy.
“It is important for a striker to score in his debut … for the fans and also for me,” Boupendza said.
Boupendza already has found himself as a fan favorite with the supporters, earning himself a new chant that celebrates his name to the tune of Tag Team’s ‘90s smash hit “Whoomp! (There It Is).” It’s a song that Boupendza had not heard at the time of the match, but has since been shown, and now describes it as “his favorite.”
The one moment missing from his debut, one that encompasses his fun, expressive personality, along with his amazing physical gifts, was his signature celebration.
He takes a full backflip as he runs to the corner flag.
But it’s coming, he promised.
“Step-by-step,” he said with his signature smile and laugh.
Carter Chapley -
Staff Writer
