# Blagoja Vidinić
**Blagoja Vidinić** (Благоја Видиниќ; also rendered Blagoje Vidinić; 11 June 1934 – 29 December 2006) was a Macedonian goalkeeper and football coach who won Olympic gold and silver with [Yugoslavia](https://www.edgepedia.org/yugoslavia) and later led Morocco and Zaire to their first [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup) appearances.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 11 June 1934, Skopje; 29 December 2006, Strasbourg, France (aged 72) [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998) |
| Position | Goalkeeper; 194 cm, 96 kg [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998) |
| Clubs | Vardar Skopje (1952–56), Radnički Beograd (1956–61), OFK Beograd (1962–64), Sion (1964–66), then the United States [2](https://nogomet.lzmk.hr/clanak/vidinic-blagoje) |
| Yugoslavia caps | 8 A internationals, 1956–1960 [2](https://nogomet.lzmk.hr/clanak/vidinic-blagoje) |
| Medals as player | Olympic silver 1956, Olympic gold 1960, European Nations Cup silver 1960 [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998) |
| World Cups as coach | Morocco, Mexico 1970; Zaire, West Germany 1974 [2](https://nogomet.lzmk.hr/clanak/vidinic-blagoje) |
| African title | 1974 African Cup of Nations with Zaire [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998) |
## Playing career
Vidinić began as a junior goalkeeper with Vardar Skopje from 1948 and finished high school in Skopje in 1953 [3](https://en.macedonism.org/Macedonian-Encyclopedia/vidinic-blagoja/). He debuted in the [Yugoslav First League](https://www.edgepedia.org/yugoslav-first-league) in 1952 and stayed in the Vardar goal until 1956, making a recorded total of 144 senior appearances for the club [4](https://srpskaenciklopedija.rs/books/slovo-v/page/vidinic-blagoje) • [3](https://en.macedonism.org/Macedonian-Encyclopedia/vidinic-blagoja/). In 1951 he had been the goalkeeper of the Yugoslav youth side that won the UEFA youth tournament in France [3](https://en.macedonism.org/Macedonian-Encyclopedia/vidinic-blagoja/).
He moved to Radnički Beograd in 1955 [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998). With Radnički he reached the 1957 Yugoslav Cup final, in which his team led Partizan 3:0 at half time and lost 5:3 [4](https://srpskaenciklopedija.rs/books/slovo-v/page/vidinic-blagoje). He joined OFK Beograd in 1962 and won the 1962 domestic cup with the club [4](https://srpskaenciklopedija.rs/books/slovo-v/page/vidinic-blagoje) • [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998).
**Abroad.** In 1964 he moved to Sion in Switzerland, winning a second cup there, and then went to the United States [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998). He played for the Toros of Los Angeles in 1967 and 1968, a club that relocated to San Diego, and finished his career in 1969 with the Stars of St. Louis [4](https://srpskaenciklopedija.rs/books/slovo-v/page/vidinic-blagoje).
## Yugoslavia international
Vidinić earned eight caps for Yugoslavia between 1956 and 1960, debuting against India at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and playing his last match in 1960 against Hungary (1:1) in Budapest [2](https://nogomet.lzmk.hr/clanak/vidinic-blagoje). At Melbourne, Yugoslavia lost the Olympic final to the Soviet Union, with Vidinić having played in the semi-finals, for a silver medal [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998).
At the Rome Olympics in 1960 he played two matches, the semi-final and the final, and Yugoslavia beat Denmark 3:1 in the final on 10 September 1960 at the Stadio Flaminio to take gold [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998) • [5](https://datencenter.dfb.de/en/data-center/olympic-games/1960-in-rome/final/yugoslavia-denmark-1736683). The same year he played in the final of the inaugural European Nations Cup in Paris, where Yugoslavia lost 2:1 to the Soviet Union; he received a silver medal and was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998) • [3](https://en.macedonism.org/Macedonian-Encyclopedia/vidinic-blagoja/).
## Coaching career
After retiring in 1970 he moved directly into coaching [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998). He took charge of [Morocco](https://www.edgepedia.org/morocco) for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, the first African national team to qualify for a World Cup as an independent state [4](https://srpskaenciklopedija.rs/books/slovo-v/page/vidinic-blagoje). His recorded record with Morocco in the tournament was no wins, one draw, and two losses [6](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/blagoje-vidinic/122206).
He then coached Zaire from 1971 to 1974, winning the 1974 African Cup of Nations and leading the team at the 1974 World Cup in [West Germany](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-germany), where Zaire lost all three matches [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998) • [4](https://srpskaenciklopedija.rs/books/slovo-v/page/vidinic-blagoje) • [6](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/blagoje-vidinic/122206). He subsequently led the Colombia national team from 1976 to 1979 [4](https://srpskaenciklopedija.rs/books/slovo-v/page/vidinic-blagoje).
## Later life
After his coaching career Vidinić settled in Strasbourg, where he worked as a representative of the shoe manufacturer adidas [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998). He died there on 29 December 2006 at the age of 72 [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998).
## Name
Sources give his first name in both Macedonian and Serbian forms, Blagoja and Blagoje, and reference works list him under both [1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998). The Macedonian Encyclopedia uses Blagoja, while the Serbian Encyclopedia and most football databases use Blagoje [3](https://en.macedonism.org/Macedonian-Encyclopedia/vidinic-blagoja/) • [4](https://srpskaenciklopedija.rs/books/slovo-v/page/vidinic-blagoje).
## References
1. [Blagoja Vidinić, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27998)
2. [Vidinić, Blagoje, Nogometni leksikon](https://nogomet.lzmk.hr/clanak/vidinic-blagoje)
3. [Vidinic, Blagoja, Macedonian Encyclopedia](https://en.macedonism.org/Macedonian-Encyclopedia/vidinic-blagoja/)
4. [ВИДИНИЋ, Благоје, Српска енциклопедија](https://srpskaenciklopedija.rs/books/slovo-v/page/vidinic-blagoje)
5. [Yugoslavia – Denmark 3:1, Olympic Games 1960 final, DFB data center](https://datencenter.dfb.de/en/data-center/olympic-games/1960-in-rome/final/yugoslavia-denmark-1736683)
6. [Blagoje Vidinic, entraîneur de football, L'Équipe](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/blagoje-vidinic/122206)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Managers and coaches › Eastern and Southeastern European managers*
*Initially written Oct 21, 2026*
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