Óscar Córdoba

Óscar Córdoba

Cordoba in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Óscar Eduardo Córdoba Arce
Date of birth	(1970-02-03) 3 February 1970 (age 54)
Place of birth	Valle , Colombia
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1988	Atlético Nacional	4	(0)
1989–1990	Deportivo Cali	0	(0)
1990	Deportes Quindío	33	(0)
1991–1992	Millonarios	61	(0)
1993	Once Caldas	39	(0)
1993–1997	América de Cali	110	(0)
1997–2001	Boca Juniors	118	(0)
2002	Perugia	15	(0)
2002–2006	Beşiktaş	137	(0)
2006–2007	Antalyaspor	32	(0)
2007–2008	Deportivo Cali	14	(0)
2008–2009	Millonarios	37	(0)
Total		600	(0)
International career
1993–2006	Colombia	73	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Óscar Eduardo Córdoba Arce (born 3 February 1970) is a Colombian retired professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played more than 70 games for the Colombia national team. He is also the only person to never concede a goal in a Copa América edition, having done so in 2001.

Club career

Córdoba started playing professionally with

After the title, he moved to Argentine team

His contract with the Colombian side expired after Deportivo Cali were eliminated in the semi-finals of the Copa Mustang in the Apertura of 2008. In December 2008 he was nominated by the American channel Fox Sports as "Outstanding Career" Award given annually by such means the best athletes in the world. Oscar will be awarded with special recognition for Outstanding Career with Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta.

After his experience at Deportivo Cali, Córdoba expressed his interest in either returning to Argentina, returning to Turkey, or retiring from football itself. He finally signed for

Córdoba made his debut for the Colombia national team in a friendly against Costa Rica on 31 March 1993. He has gone on to make over 70 appearances for his country, making him the most capped goalkeeper in the history of Colombian international football.^[3]

In the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification he started in every game and conceded only two goals making him the best goalkeeper in the playoffs. He played a key role in the 2001 Copa América, playing five of six games, and winning the tournament with no goals conceded. Along with Miguel Calero, the Colombian side kept their net virgin throughout the tournament, first time to ever happen in the Copa América. He also won the award for best goalkeeper in the tournament.^{[citation needed]} He played in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup where Colombia came fourth.

On 10 September 2003, Córdoba surpassed René Higuita's record of 68 caps, to become Colombia's all-time record goalkeeper. He was called up to the Colombia national team for his final time in October 2009 as the third goalkeeper in a FIFA World Cup qualifier for the CONMEBOL.

Honours

América de Cali

• Categoría Primera A: 1996–97
• Copa Libertadores: runner-up 1996

Boca Juniors

• Argentine Primera División: 1998 Apertura, 1999 Clausura, 2000 Apertura
• Copa Libertadores: 2000, 2001
• Intercontinental Cup: 2000

Beşiktaş

• Süper Lig: 2002–03
• Turkish Cup: 2005–06

Colombia

• Copa América: 2001

Individual

• Most Valuable Player, 2000 Copa Libertadores
• Best Goalkeeper, 2000 and 2001 Copa Libertadores
• Best Goalkeeper, 2001 Copa América
• Named to the América dream team, 2000 and 2001
• First and only goalkeeper in Copa América history to keep a perfect clean sheet

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Óscar Córdoba.

• Óscar Córdoba at National-Football-Teams.com
• Óscar Córdoba Interview
• Óscar Córdoba: the greatest
• Óscar Córdoba, from Maradona and his Ferrari Testarossa to football glory