While managing indifferent league form in the early 1980s, the club had its first South American success in the form of the Copa Libertadores. In the 1980 season, O'Higgins reached the semi-finals, being eliminated by Uruguay's Club Nacional. The 1984 edition of the Libertadores, the club finished last of his group, in which Universidad Católica, Bolivar and Blooming integrated the group with the team of Rancagua, whilst for the league tournament, the Primera División, making regular campaigns, the last season, the club defeated 6–1 to Colo-Colo with elite footballers in the 1983 season, establishing of this form an unpublished fact.