Vincent Aboubakar facts for kids
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Aboubakar with Beşiktaş in 2023
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Vincent Paté Aboubakar | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 22 January 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Garoua, Cameroon | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Coton Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Coton Sport | 15 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Valenciennes | 72 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Valenciennes B | 4 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Lorient | 37 | (17) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2020 | Porto | 83 | (36) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | → Beşiktaş (loan) | 27 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Porto B | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Beşiktaş | 26 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Al Nassr | 34 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Beşiktaş | 38 | (18) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Hatayspor | 25 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Cameroon U20 | 14 | (22) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010– | Cameroon | 112 | (45) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 April 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 June 2025 |
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Vincent Paté Aboubakar (born 22 January 1992) is a famous Cameroonian footballer. He plays as a striker, which means he is a forward player who scores goals. He also captains the Cameroon national team. Most recently, he played for Süper Lig club Hatayspor.
Aboubakar started his football journey at Coton Sport in Cameroon. In 2010, he moved to Europe. He played for French clubs like Valenciennes and Lorient. He played 109 games and scored 26 goals in France's top league. In 2015, he joined Porto in Portugal. There, he played 125 games and scored 58 goals, helping them win a league title. He also won the Turkish Süper Lig with Beşiktaş in 2017 and again in 2021.
Aboubakar has played over 110 games for Cameroon since 2010. He is the second-highest goal scorer for his country, right after the legendary Samuel Eto'o. He has played in three FIFA World Cups (2010, 2014, and 2022). He also played in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015, 2017, 2021, and 2023. Aboubakar scored the winning goal in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations final. He was also the top goal scorer in the 2021 tournament.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Vincent Aboubakar was born on 22 January 1992 in Garoua, a city in Cameroon. He grew up in a Christian family in a city where most people are Muslim. His mother, Maobeal Alice, was a church leader. His wife is from Qatar.
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Valenciennes
On 26 May 2010, Aboubakar joined Valenciennes in France. He wore the number 9 shirt. He played his first game as a substitute against Nice. He scored his first goal and even a hat-trick (three goals in one game) against Boulogne in a cup match.
Playing for Lorient
Aboubakar moved to Lorient for free on 1 July 2013. He played his first game for them on 10 August. He scored his first goal eight days later, helping his team win 2–1 against Nantes. He was the joint second-highest scorer in the league that season. He scored 16 goals in 35 games.
Playing for Porto
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Aboubakar joined Porto in Portugal on 24 August 2014. He signed a four-year contract. He played his first game for Porto on 14 September. Three days later, he scored his first goal for Porto in the UEFA Champions League. It was a big 6–0 win against BATE Borisov. He mostly came on as a substitute in his first season.
In his second season, Aboubakar played much more often. He scored two goals in the first game of the season on 15 August 2015. He also scored twice in a 5–0 win against Boavista FC.
Loan to Beşiktaş
On 27 August 2016, Aboubakar went on loan to Beşiktaş, a top team in Turkey. He played his first game for them on 10 September. He scored his first goals for Beşiktaş in the Champions League. He scored two goals in a 3–2 win against Napoli. This was Beşiktaş's first Champions League win since 2009. He helped Beşiktaş win the league title that season, scoring 12 goals in 27 games.
Return to Porto
After his loan, Aboubakar returned to Porto. He was part of a strong attacking team. He scored his first hat-trick for Porto on 20 August 2017. It was a 3–0 home win against Moreirense FC. He scored five goals in the Champions League group stage that season. This included two goals in each game against French champions AS Monaco. On 10 December, he scored another hat-trick in a 5–0 win against Vitória F.C..
In September 2018, Aboubakar got a serious knee injury. He had surgery and was out for a long time. He came back to play on 4 May 2019.
Return to Beşiktaş
Aboubakar returned to Beşiktaş on 25 September 2020. He signed a contract until May 2021. In that season, he was the fifth-highest goal scorer in the league with 15 goals. His team won the league title. He scored two goals in a big 4–3 win against city rivals Fenerbahçe.
Playing for Al Nassr
On 8 June 2021, Aboubakar signed a three-year deal with Al Nassr, a club in Saudi Arabia. He left the club in January 2023. This was to make space for another famous player, Cristiano Ronaldo, to join the team.
Third Time at Beşiktaş
On 21 January 2023, Aboubakar rejoined Beşiktaş. He came back to replace another striker who had left. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal. Aboubakar scored 13 goals in 16 games in the second half of that season.
In December 2023, Aboubakar was temporarily removed from the team. This was due to his performance and issues within the team. However, on 14 February 2024, he was allowed to return and train with the team again.
Playing for Hatayspor
Aboubakar signed with Turkish club Hatayspor after leaving Beşiktaş. On 9 May 2025, he ended his contract with Hatayspor by agreement.
International Career for Cameroon
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On 18 August 2009, Aboubakar was called to play for the Cameroon national under-20 football team. He was only 18 years old when he was chosen for Cameroon's main team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was the only player in the squad who played for a club in Cameroon at that time. He played his first game for Cameroon on 29 May 2010 against Slovakia. On 11 August 2010, he scored his first goal for his country against Poland.
He also played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. In the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, Aboubakar scored a goal in the 88th minute of the final. This goal gave Cameroon a 2–1 victory against Egypt. It ended Cameroon's 15-year wait to win the tournament.
Later in 2017, he played in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. He scored a goal in their 3–1 loss to Germany.
Aboubakar did not play in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. The manager thought he was not fully fit after his injury.
He returned for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, which was held in Cameroon. He scored five goals in the group stage. He then scored another goal in a 2–1 win against Comoros. In the third-place match, he scored twice in a 3–3 draw. Cameroon won that match on penalties. With 8 goals in 7 games, he was the top scorer of the tournament. He was also named in the Team of the Tournament.
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he scored a goal and made an assist in a 3–3 draw against Serbia. He scored the winning goal against Brazil in the third match. He was sent off after taking off his shirt to celebrate.
Aboubakar was injured before the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He recovered in time for the knockout stage. His team was eliminated by Nigeria. This game was also his 100th match for the national team.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Coton Sport | 2009–10 | Elite One | 15 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 7 | |||
| Valenciennes | 2010–11 | Ligue 1 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | — | — | 20 | 4 | ||
| 2011–12 | 27 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 8 | ||||
| 2012–13 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 72 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 81 | 15 | ||||
| Lorient | 2013–14 | Ligue 1 | 35 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 16 | ||
| 2014–15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 37 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 17 | ||||
| Porto | 2014–15 | Primeira Liga | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | — | 20 | 8 | |
| 2015–16 | 28 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | — | 42 | 18 | |||
| 2017–18 | 28 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | — | 43 | 26 | |||
| 2018–19 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 4 | ||
| 2019–20 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 9 | 2 | |||
| Total | 83 | 36 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 21 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 125 | 58 | ||
| Beşiktaş (loan) | 2016–17 | Süper Lig | 27 | 12 | 2 | 1 | — | 9 | 6 | — | 38 | 19 | ||
| Beşiktaş | 2020–21 | 26 | 15 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 16 | |||
| Al Nassr | 2021–22 | Saudi Pro League | 23 | 8 | 1 | 0 | – | 3 | 1 | – | 27 | 9 | ||
| 2022–23 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 34 | 12 | 2 | 0 | – | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 13 | |||
| Beşiktaş | 2022–23 | Süper Lig | 16 | 13 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 13 | ||||
| 2023–24 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 10 | 7 | — | 34 | 12 | ||||
| Total | 38 | 18 | 2 | 0 | — | 10 | 7 | — | 50 | 25 | ||||
| Hatayspor | 2024–25 | Süper Lig | 25 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 28 | 8 | |||
| Career total | 343 | 133 | 29 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 43 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 426 | 178 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
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| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameroon | 2010 | 7 | 1 |
| 2011 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 10 | 5 | |
| 2015 | 12 | 6 | |
| 2016 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 16 | 5 | |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 3 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 17 | 10 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 10 | 5 | |
| 2025 | 4 | 3 | |
| Total | 112 | 45 | |
- Scores and results list Cameroon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Aboubakar goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 August 2010 | Stadion Poznań, Poznań, Poland | 5 |  Poland |
3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 5 March 2014 | Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Leiria, Portugal | 22 |  Portugal |
1–1 | 1–5 | Friendly |
| 3 | 6 September 2014 | Stade TP Mazembe, Lubumbashi, DR Congo | 27 |  DR Congo |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 4 | 10 September 2014 | Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 28 |  Ivory Coast |
2–1 | 4–1 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 5 | 3–1 | ||||||
| 6 | 15 November 2014 | Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 30 | DR Congo |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 7 | 10 January 2015 | Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon | 32 |  South Africa |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 8 | 25 March 2015 | Gelora Delta Stadium, Sidoarjo, Indonesia | 36 |  Indonesia |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 6 June 2015 | Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, France | 37 |  Burkina Faso |
1–1 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 10 | 14 June 2015 | Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 39 |  Mauritania |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 11 | 6 September 2015 | Independence Stadium, Bakau, Gambia | 40 |  Gambia |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 12 | 13 November 2015 | Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey, Niger | 42 |  Niger |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13 | 30 May 2016 | Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France | 45 |  France |
1–1 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 14 | 12 November 2016 | Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam, Cameroon | 48 |  Zambia |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 5 February 2017 | Stade de l'Amitié, Libreville, Gabon | 54 |  Egypt |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2017 Africa Cup of Nations final |
| 16 | 24 March 2017 | Mustapha Ben Jannet Stadium, Monastir, Tunisia | 55 |  Tunisia |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 17 | 10 June 2017 | Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 57 |  Morocco |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 18 | 25 June 2017 | Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia | 60 |  Germany |
1–2 | 1–3 | 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 19 | 4 September 2017 | Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 62 |  Nigeria |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 20 | 25 March 2018 | Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait | 65 |  Kuwait |
1–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 21 | 12 November 2020 | Reunification Stadium, Douala, Cameroon | 68 |  Mozambique |
1–0 | 4–1 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 22 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 23 | 16 November 2020 | Estádio do Zimpeto, Maputo, Mozambique | 69 | Mozambique |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 24 | 3 September 2021 | Paul Biya Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 72 |  Malawi |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 25 | 13 November 2021 | Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa | 76 | Malawi |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 26 | 9 January 2022 | Paul Biya Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 78 | Burkina Faso |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 27 | 2–1 | ||||||
| 28 | 13 January 2022 | Paul Biya Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 79 |  Ethiopia |
2–1 | 4–1 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 29 | 3–1 | ||||||
| 30 | 17 January 2022 | Paul Biya Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 80 |  Cape Verde |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 31 | 24 January 2022 | Paul Biya Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 81 |  Comoros |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 32 | 5 February 2022 | Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 84 | Burkina Faso |
2–3 | 3–3 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 33 | 3–3 | ||||||
| 34 | 28 November 2022 | Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar | 93 |  Serbia |
2–3 | 3–3 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| 35 | 2 December 2022 | Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar | 94 |  Brazil |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| 36 | 28 March 2023 | Dobsonville Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa | 95 |  Namibia |
1–2 | 1–2 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 37 | 12 September 2023 | Roumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua, Cameroon | 96 |  Burundi |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 38 | 8 June 2024 | Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 101 | Cape Verde |
2–0 | 4–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 39 | 3–1 | ||||||
| 40 | 7 September 2024 | Japoma Stadium, Doaula, Cameroon | 103 | Namibia |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 41 | 11 October 2024 | Japoma Stadium, Doaula, Cameroon | 105 |  Kenya |
1–0 | 4–1 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 42 | 19 November 2024 | Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 108 |  Zimbabwe |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 43 | 25 March 2025 | Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon | 110 |  Libya |
1–0 | 3–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 44 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 45 | 9 June 2025 | Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh, Morocco | 112 |  Equatorial Guinea |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
Honours and Awards
Coton Sport
- Elite One: 2009–10 (Cameroonian League Champion)
Beşiktaş
- Süper Lig: 2016–17, 2020–21 (Turkish League Champion)
- Turkish Cup: 2020–21, 2023–24
- Turkish Super Cup: 2024
Porto
- Primeira Liga: 2017–18, 2019–20 (Portuguese League Champion)
- Taça de Portugal: 2019–20 (Portuguese Cup)
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2018 (Portuguese Super Cup)
Cameroon
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2017 (African Champion)
Individual Awards
- Africa Cup of Nations Golden Boot: 2021 (Top Scorer)
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2021 (Named one of the best players)
- France Football Africa Team of the Year: 2017
See also
In Spanish: Vincent Aboubakar para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
