Driss BAMOOS

Driss Bamoos entered the world of professional soccer as a forward in 1961 by becoming a member of FAR Rabat and, three years later, he was selected to represent Morocco at the 1964 Summer Olympics. At the Games his country lost both its games against Yugoslavia and upcoming gold medalist Hungary in the preliminary round and was eliminated; Bamoos participated in both matches, but did not score any goals. He remained with FAR Rabat until his 1975 retirement, winning the first division title seven times (1961-1964, 1967, 1968, and 1970) and the Coupe du Trône once, in 1971. Along the way he also competed in the 1970 World Cup, where his nation was eliminated in the group stage.

Following his departure from active competition, Bamous became part of the coaching and administration staff of FAR Rabat, where he remained until becoming president of the Moroccan national team in 1986. He took his squad to the World Cup that year, where Morocco won its group in the first round, but it was eliminated by upcoming runner-up West Germany in the knockout stage. He also helped organize the 1988 African Cup of Nations, where his team finished fourth, and remained president until 1992. By profession he was a soldier and military officer, trained in France, and was elevated to the rank of Brigadier General in 2003. Three years later, the Confederation of African Football chose him as one of their best players of the past half century.