Osmar Donizete Cândido

Osmar Donizete Cândido (born 24 October 1968, known as Donizete Pantera, is a Brazilian retired footballer, who played as a forward, and the assistant manager at CFZ do Rio.

Dubbed as Donizete Pantera, a nickname he received in Mexico, where he won the Balon de Oro for his performances in the 1993–94 Mexican Primera División. He also stood out as part of the Botafogo team that won 1995 Série A, plus would later be influential in the 1998 Copa Libertadores won by Vasco da Gama.

An international for Brazil from 1995 to 1998, he made nine caps and scored twice, but was not included in the squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which he said to be the biggest disappointment of his life.

Club career Born in Prados, Minas Gerais, Donizete Pantera started his career at Volta Redonda at age 19. After a few months with the third tier team, he moved to São José in 1988, where he help them finish runner-up in the Campeonato Paulista in 1989, losing out to São Paulo.

His performances led him to sign with Botafogo. With competition from Paulinho Criciúma and Milton Cruz, he only made 15 appearances in the Brasileirão, scoring once, on 14 October 1989 against Vitória. In 1990, Donizete Pantera moved to Tecos UAG, spending five seasons there, being an important part in the conquest of the first and only league title for the Mexican side. On 30 April 1994, in the second leg of the championship final against Santos Laguna, with Tecos needing a goal to win the title; Donizete made an individual effort past Santos defence, scoring the second and decisive title. For his influence, he won that season award for best player in the league, the Balon de Oro.

For the following two seasons, Donizete Pantera moved abroad, playing first at Verdy Kawasaki in the J1 League in 1996 and then moving to Portugal, playing for Benfica. He debuted on 18 August 1996, in the first leg of 1996 Supertaça against Porto, scoring his first goal on 7 September, a double against Gil Vicente. He partnered with João Pinto in the six month he spent at Estádio da Luz, scoring 9 goals in 22 appearances, leaving in late January 1997 for Corinthians.

In Corinthians, he reunited with Túlio Maravilha, winning his first Campeonato Paulista, now beating São Paulo. In the late part of 1997, Donizete Pantera moved to Vasco da Gama, being loaned out to Cruzeiro to play a single game, the 1997 Intercontinental Cup, lost to Borussia Dortmund by 2–0. At Vasco da Gama, he played with Luizão, in the conquest of the 1998 Copa Libertadores. Eliminating Cruzeiro, Grêmio and River Plate in the knock-out stages, Donizete Pantera started and scored in both legs of the 1998 Copa Libertadores Finals, as Vasco defeated Barcelona by 4–1 on aggregate. He admitted that the biggest disappointment in his life was not taking part in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, as he described. "I was in most of Zagallo's call ups that season. I was playing well, my performance at Vasco was helping a lot and I was really convinced I would play a World Cup. But then, right close to the announcement of the official squad, Bebeto won my place, and he was not a regular call up; Then Romário got cut out due to injury. I thought they would remember me. Hell, they chose to take Emerson instead, and he was a defensive midfielder. Then I can say that not taking part in the 98 World Cup was the biggest disappointment of my life."

Division!!Apps!!Goals

1987

1988 Série C

1989

1990

1990–91

1991–92

1992–93

1993–94

1994–95

Botafogo 1995 Série A

Verdy Kawasaki 1996 J1 League

Benfica 1996–97 Primeira Divisão

Corinthians 1997 Série A

Cruzeiro 1998 Série A

1998

1999

Tigres 1999–2000 Mexican Primera División

Botafogo 2000 Série A

Palmeiras 2001 Série A

Reboceros La Piedad 2001–02 Mexican Primera División

Tecos 2002–03 Mexican Primera División

Vasco da Gama 2003 Série A

Tecos 2003–04 Mexican Primera División

Macaé Esporte 2005 Carioca Segunda

International

Honours UAG Tecos Mexico Primera División: 1993–94

Botafogo Campeonato Brasileiro: 1995

Vasco da Gama Copa Libertadores da América: 1998

Individual Mexican Primera División Golden Ball: 1993–94 Mexican league top scorer: 1995 Bola de Prata: 1995