Frédéric Gounongbé

Frédéric Vinami Henri Gounongbe (born 1 May 1988) is a former professional footballer who played 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, before spending two seasons with Welsh club Cardiff City. After leaving Cardiff in 2018, he retired from football.

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. He played tennis as a teenager and regarded the sport as his number one discipline.

He later graduated from EPHEC University College with a bachelor's degree in international business. 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". He scored his first goal in the Pro League on 2 August 2014 during a 3–2 victory over Charleroi. He made his debut for the club in a 0–0 draw with Birmingham City on the opening day of the 2016–17 season. Gounongbe failed to score in nine games and was eventually dropped by new manager, Neil Warnock. He made three more substitute appearances before suffering an injury that required surgery, ruling him out of the rest of the season.

He made his return on 18 November, coming on a substitute against Brentford, playing two more games before suffering a groin injury, which ruled him out for several months. Gounongbe was released at the end of the 2017–18 season, following Cardiff's promotion to the Premier League. Following his departure, he decided to retire from football on doctor's advice due to a long-term injury.

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. 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.

International goals

After football Following his retirement, Gounongbe attended university and graduated in asset management.

2010–11

|2017–18

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