Cihan Özkara

Cihan Özkara (born 14 July 1991) is a German-born Azerbaijani professional footballer who most recently played as a forward for German club Rot Weiss Ahlen.^[1]

Cihan Özkara

Özkara with Azerbaijan in 2012
Personal information
Date of birth	(1991-07-14) 14 July 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth	Hamm, Germany
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1999–2007	LR Ahlen
2007–2008	Arminia Bielefeld
2008–2009	Rot Weiss Ahlen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2011	Rot Weiss Ahlen	32	(1)
2011–2015	Sivasspor	36	(3)
2012	→ Kayseri Erciyesspor (loan)	4	(0)
2015	→ Simurq (loan)	12	(0)
2015–2017	Preußen Münster	28	(1)
2017–2018	SC Verl	19	(6)
2018–2020	Rot-Weiß Oberhausen	45	(16)
2020	İstanbulspor	0	(0)
2020–2022	Afjet Afyonspor	49	(15)
2022	Sarıyer	15	(3)
2022–2024	Rot Weiss Ahlen	44	(5)
International career‡
2011	Azerbaijan U21	6	(3)
2012–	Azerbaijan	18	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:28, 4 July 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 February 2014

Career

Özkara was born in Hamm. He began his career with LR Ahlen and played eight years before joining Arminia Bielefeld in summer 2007.^[2] After one year with Arminia Bielefeld, he returned to Rot Weiss Ahlen where he made his senior debut on 22 September 2009 against Greuther Fürth in the DFB-Pokal.^[3] He signed on 6 October 2009 his first professional contract until 30 June 2012.

On 30 January 2015, Özkara signed for Simurq PIK on loan till the end of the 2014–15 season.^[4]

On 4 September 2020, Özkara a three-year contract with İstanbulspor.^[5]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by national team and year^[6]

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Azerbaijan	2012	7	1
	2013	6	0
	2013	3	0
Total		16	1

Score and result list Azerbaijan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Özkara goal.

International goal scored by Cihan Özkara

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	15 August 2012	Baku, Azerbaijan	Bahrain	2–0	3–0	Friendly