Jhon Andrés Córdoba Copete is a Colombian footballer who plays for German club 1. FC Köln as a striker. He is well known for his strength and his powerful shots. His skills and talents have led many to consider him to be a Colombian version of Didier Drogba due to their similar traits.
Club career
Envigado
A youth product of Envigado F.C., Córdoba made his professional debut for the club in 2010. In the 2011 Torneo Apertura, he appeared in only two matches, all from the bench. Córdoba was retained to play in the 2011 Copa Colombia, scoring against giants Independiente Medellin and Once Caldas. However, Envigado finished last in their group, therefore being eliminated from the cup. Córdoba was included in the starting eleven in 2011 Torneo Finalización. He then scored five goals in 18 appearances, and notably scoring a brace in a 2–3 loss to Once Caldas. Córdoba successfully defended his starting place in the following year's Torneo Apertura, and finished the season as the club's top goal scorer with six goals in 16 games.
Following an impressive season with Envigado, Córdoba was signed by Mexican club Querétaro and immediately loaned to fellow league team Chiapas on 9 July 2012. He made his debut on 20 July 2012 against Tigres UANL, and scored his first goal in a 4–0 triumph against San Luis.
Espanyol
On 2 September 2013, it was announced that Córdoba would join La Liga club RCD Espanyol. The deal would consist of a one-year loan with an option to buy for €3.5 million. On 30 November, Córdoba scored his first goal in a match against Real Sociedad. On 25 January of the following year he scored his second goal in a match against Valencia CF, and finished the campaign with four goals.
Granada
On 12 August 2014 Córdoba signed a five-year deal with fellow league team Granada CF.
On 31 August 2015, Córdoba was loaned to 1. FSV Mainz 05, for one year. He went on to score five Bundesliga goals including a game-winning goal against eventual champions Bayern Munich in a shock 2–1 win away from home. In May 2016, Mainz exercised their option to sign Córdoba permanently for a reported transfer fee of around €5 million with Córdoba signing a contract running until 2020. In the 2016–17 season Córdoba made 29 appearances contributing 5 goals and assists each.
1. FC Köln
On 28 June 2017, 1. FC Köln announced that they had signed Córdoba on a four-year deal. The transfer paid to Mainz was reported as around €15 million. On the 28 April 2018, he came off the bench as Köln lost 3–2 to SC Freiburg which confirmed Köln’s relegation from the Bundesliga. In the 2018–19 season, Cordoba finished second in scoring with 20 goals in the 2. Bundesliga. Köln immediately gained promotion back to the 1. Bundesliga. He scored in his fifth home match in a row and notched his first Bundesliga brace in a 3–1 victory over VfL Wolfsburg on 18 January 2020.
Córdoba was called up to the 2013 South American Youth Championship games to represent Colombia wearing the number 9 jersey. He scored in the opening game against Paraguay in a 1–0 victory. In the game against Bolivia, he scored 2 goals in a 6–0 victory although he failed to score many good opportunities that were given to him. Thus, he was not selected in the final game of the group stage against Argentina where Colombia was already qualified to the next round. Córdoba scored the winner against Uruguay in a 1–0 victory allowing Colombia to top their group. After winning the South American championship with Colombia, he scored a total of 4 goals contributing greatly for his nation.
Córdoba took part with the U20 side again for the 2013 Toulon Tournament, where he failed to score a single goal. Despite this, Colombia managed to become the runners-up in the tournament. In a friendly against the U-20 side of France, Córdoba missed a penalty kick but managed to score a header in a 2–2.
In the opening match against Australia, Córdoba missed and wasted many chances while Colombia was trailing 1–0. However, he managed to finally score a goal in the 78th minute resulting in a 1–1 draw. In the last group match against El Salvador, Córdoba converted a successful penalty in a 3–0 victory.
Style of play
A 'powerful' striker, Córdoba's most noticeable traits give regard to his physical traits: tall and large with very powerful shots as his major most noticeable trademark. His speed and pace has been a major factor in most games that he plays. Due to his size, he carries natural talent with balls that come from the air. This style of play is well-known with Ivorian international Didier Drogba who Córdoba has been compared with on many occasions.
