Liverpool star Mohamed Salah criticised UEFA's tribute to Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obeid for omitting details of his death. Al-Obeid died in an Israeli attack while waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, August 6.
Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah slammed UEFA for their post paying tribute to Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obeid on social for failing to refer to the circumstances surrounding his death. The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) announced on Thursday, August 7, that Obeid was killed in an Israeli attack while waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip the previous day.
Suleiman al-Obeid, 41, was killed on Wednesday in southern Gaza when Israeli forces attacked civilians waiting for humanitarian aid, the Palestine Football Association (PFA) said.
“Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pelé’,” Uefa posted on X on Friday. “A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.”
Salah replied to Uefa’s post on Saturday, saying: “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
The Liverpool player and Egypt star has consistently voiced sympathy for those in Gaza throughout
the conflict.
Two years ago, he donated to the Egyptian Red Cross to help fund its relief efforts in the region.
A fixture in the Palestinian national side after his debut in 2007, Obeid gained 24 caps and scored twice, the PFA said last week, most memorably with a scissor-kick against Yemen during the 2010 West Asian Football Federation championship.
‘‘During his long career, al-Obeid, 41, scored more than 100 goals, making him one of the brightest stars of Palestinian football,” it said.
His talent on the pitch earned him the nickname of “the Palestinian Pelé” – a nod to the legendary Brazilian widely hailed as one of the greatest players of all time.
Obeid’s death added to a growing toll of athletes lost in Gaza since the war began, with at least 662 sportspeople and their relatives reported to have been killed.
“The number of footballers killed or who died from starvation has reached 421, including 103 children,” the PFA said.
According to the PFA, 288 sports facilities have been damaged or reduced to rubble across Gaza and the West Bank, from stadiums and training grounds to gyms and clubhouses. The majority, 268, were in Gaza, while 20 were in the West Bank, with about half serving football directly.
