Frédéric Gounongbe
 Gounongbe playing for Cardiff City in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frédéric Vinami Henri Gounongbe[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 1 May 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Brussels, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre forward | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Cardiff City | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Léopold | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2012 | Woluwe-Zaventem | 71 | (35) |
| 2012–2013 | Zulte Waregem | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | → RWDM Brussels (loan) | 28 | (9) |
| 2013–2014 | RWDM Brussels | 18 | (11) |
| 2014–2016 | Westerlo | 45 | (22) |
| 2016– | Cardiff City | 11 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2014– | Benin | 6 | (2) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10:28, 4 December 2016 (UTC). | |||
Frédéric Vinami Henri Gounongbe (born 1 May 1988) is a Beninese international footballer who plays for Football League Championship side Cardiff City, as a centre forward. A latecomer to professional football, he rose to prominence during a spell with Belgian Third Division side Woluwe-Zaventem, scoring 19 times in the 2011–12 season. His form attracted the attention of Belgian Pro League side Zulte Waregem and he joined the club on a two-year deal. However, he never appeared for the first team and after spending the 2012—13 season on loan at the club, he joined RWDM Brussels on a permanent deal.
In 2014, he returned to the Pro League with Westerlo where he spent two seasons. Born in Belgium, Gounongbe chose to represent Benin at international level, making his debut in 2014.
Early and personal life
Gounongbe was born in Brussels to a Beninese father and a Belgian mother.[2] He played tennis as a teenager and regarded the sport as his number one discipline.[3][4]
He later graduated from EPHEC University College with a bachelor's degree in international business.[2][3]
Club career
Belgium
At the age of 16, he took up football after visiting a training session with a friend,[3] training with local amateur sides in Auderghem before joining Belgian Fourth Division side Léopold. However, he did not become a full professional until the relatively late age of 23.[4] He joined Woluwe-Zaventem in 2008 and attracted attention after scoring 35 goals in 71 matches for the club during a four-year spell, including 19 during the 2011–12 season in the Belgian Third Division B.[2] His form attracted interest from several clubs and he eventually joined Belgian Pro League side Zulte Waregem on a two-year deal.[5] The club's head scout, Toon Mertens described Gounongbe as "a powerful forward with flair to score. He has already scored 16 goals this season [...] he is lively and quick for his size".[2]
He was named as a substitute on four occasions for the side but never made a first team appearance and eventually joined RWDM Brussels on loan in August 2012. He scored 9 goals in 28 appearances for the club but was released by Zulte Waregem on his return to the club at the end of the season, signing a permanent one-year deal with RWDM Brussels. He scored 11 times for the club during the 2013–14 season, despite being restricted to just 18 appearances due to a fibula injury.[2] With the club experiencing financial difficulties, Gounongbe left the club at the end of the season following the end of his contract, joining newly promoted Belgian Pro League side Westerlo.[6][7] He scored his first goal in the Pro League on 2 August 2014 during a 3–2 victory over Charleroi.[2]
Cardiff City
On 1 July 2016, he joined Football League Championship side Cardiff City on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract at Westerlo, signing a two-year deal.[4][8] He made his debut for the club in a 0–0 draw with Birmingham City on the opening day of the 2016–17 season.[9]
International career
Gounongbe received his first call-up to the Benin national football team from manager Didier Ollé-Nicolle in 2014, making his debut on 17 May 2014 as a substitute in place of Mohamed Aoudou during a 2–0 victory over São Tomé and Príncipe in the first leg of the first qualifying round for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.[2][10] In the second leg of the fixture, Gounongbe was handed his first start for Benin, scoring his first international goal in his home debut in Porto-Novo before being substituted late in the match for Razak Omotoyossi.[11][12]
International goals
- As of match played 1 July 2016. Benin score listed first, score column indicates score after each goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 June 2014[12] | Stade Charles de Gaulle, Porto-Novo, Benin |  São Tomé and Príncipe | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2 | 23 March 2016[13] | Juba Stadium, Juba, South Sudan |  South Sudan | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
Career statistics
- As of 4 December 2016
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Woluwe-Zaventem | 2009–10[14] | Third Division B | 23 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 10 |
| 2010–11[14] | 15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 6 | ||
| 2011–12[14] | 33 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 20 | ||
| Woluwe-Zaventem total | 71 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 36 | ||
| Zulte Waregem | 2012–13[14] | Pro League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| RWDM Brussels (loan) | Second Division | 28 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 9 | |
| RWDM Brussels | 2013–14[14] | 18 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 11 | |
| RWDM Brussels total | 46 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 20 | ||
| Westerlo | 2014–15[14] | Pro League | 17 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 9 |
| 2015–16[14] | 28 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 13 | ||
| Westerlo total | 45 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 22 | ||
| Cardiff City | 2016–17[15] | Championship | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Total | 173 | 77 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 180 | 78 | ||
References
- ↑ "Frédéric Gounongbe". Confederation of African Football. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Frederic Gounongbe" (in French). Soulier de'Bene. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Gounongbe: I'm a bit of an outsider in the football world". The Indian Subcontinent. 27 March 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Just who is Frederic Gounongbe? This is everything you need to know about the new Cardiff City striker". WalesOnline. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
- ↑ "Aanvaller Frédéric Gounongbe versterkt SV Zulte Waregem" (in French). Nieuwsblad. 24 March 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
- ↑ "Frédéric Gounongbe". National Football Teams. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
- ↑ "Frédéric Gounongbe (RWDM) s'est engagé avec Westerlo" (in French). La Capitale. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
- ↑ "Cardiff City: Forward Frederic Gounongbe joins from Belgian club". BBC Sport. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- ↑ "Birmingham City 0–0 Cardiff City". BBC Sport. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
- ↑ "Sao Tome and Principe vs. Benin". National Football Teams. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- ↑ "Bjfoot Awards 2014: Gounongbé , joueur de l'année!" (in French). Benin Football. 11 January 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- 1 2 "Benin 2–0 Sao Tome e Principe". Confederation of African Football. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- ↑ "South Sudan 1–2 Benin". Confederation of African Football. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Frédéric Gounongbe profile at Soccerway. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- ↑ "Games played by Frédéric Gounongbe in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 August 2016.