Aboubakar Gakou

Aboubakar Pedro Gakou (born 27 May 1997) is an Angolan basketball player who plays for Petro de Luanda and the Angola national team. Standing at 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in), he plays as power forward.

Aboubakar Gakou

Gakou in 2022
No. 14 – Petro de Luanda
Position	Power forward
League	BAL Angolan Basketball League
Personal information
Born	(1997-05-27) 27 May 1997 (age 26) Angola
Nationality	Angolan
Listed height	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Career information
Playing career	2015–present
Career history
2015–present	Petro de Luanda
Career highlights and awards
BAL All-Defensive Team (2022) 5× Angolan League champion (2019, 2021–2024) 2× Angolan League MVP (2021, 2023) Angolan League Regular Season MVP (2024) 2× Angolan Cup winner (2022, 2023) 2× Angolan Supercup winner (2021, 2022)

Gakou started his career with Petro in 2015 and has won four national championships with the team since, while being a two-time MVP winner as well.

Professional career

Gakou started playing basketball only at age 17.^[1] A year later, in 2015, he was a prospect on the roster of Petro de Luanda. He won his first Angolan championship in 2019. Gakou was named the league's Most Valuable Player of the 2020–21 season after winning his second championship with the team.^[2] He was forced to miss the 2021 BAL season after he tested positive for COVID-19, making it impossible for him to join the bubble.^[1]

In the 2021–22 season, Gakou helped Petro win the national treble. He also helped his team reach the 2022 BAL Finals, where the team lost to US Monastir. On May 27, Gakou was named to the BAL All-Defensive Team.^[3]

Gakou won his fourth consecutive Angolan League title in 2023, and was named league MVP for a second time.^[4]

On May 12, 2024, Gakou was named the Angolan Basketball League Regular Season MVP, the same day after Petro won a fifth straight title.^[5][6]

National team career

Internationally, Gakou has played for the Angola national basketball team. He was on the roster for AfroBasket 2021.^[7]

Awards and accomplishments

Club

Petro de Luanda

• 5× Angolan Basketball League: (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• 2× Taça de Angola: (2022, 2023)
• 2× Supertaça de Angola: (2021, 2022)

Individual

• BAL All-Defensive Team: (2022)
• 2× Angolan League MVP: (2021, 2023)^[4]
• Angolan Basketball League Regular Season MVP: (2024)^[5]

BAL career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2022	Petro de Luanda	8	8	20.6	.446	.344	.923	5.3	.8	.5	.1	9.1
2023	Petro de Luanda	8	8	18.8	.355	.344	.727	4.0	.8	.5	.1	6.9

References

1. "Gakou adamant that Petro's BAL time is coming". The BAL. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
2. "Aboubakar Gakou MVP of 43rd national basketball championship - ANGOP". Agência Angola Press. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
3. "José Neto voted 2022 BAL Coach of the Year". The BAL. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
4. "Petro win national basketball championship". Angop.ao. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
5. "Basketball - Childe Dundão…". Angop - Agência Angola Press. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
6. Da Silva, Juscelino (12 May 2024). "Jornal de Angola - Notícias - Basquetebol: Petro de Luanda revalida título e conquista o Penta". Jornal de Angola (in Portuguese). Retrieved 13 May 2024.
7. "Angola at the FIBA AfroBasket 2021". FIBA.basketball.

External links

• Afrobasket profile