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Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah has criticised Europe’s football governing body, UEFA, for posting a tribute to “Palestinian Pele” Suleiman al-Obeid without mentioning that the former international was killed by Israeli gunfire in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said in a statement that al-Obeid, 41, was killed on Wednesday when Israeli forces “targeted people waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip.”
UEFA posted on X: “Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pele’. A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.”
The Liverpool star, Salah, responded by posting: “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
Al-Obeid, who played 24 international matches for the Palestine national team, was born in Gaza City, was married, and had five children.
In October 2023, Salah called on “world leaders to come together” to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza to “prevent further slaughter of innocent souls.”
Since the start of the Gaza war, in response to Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel, 662 people from the sport and scouting sector have been killed, including 321 in the football community, according to the PFA.
As of August 9, Israel has killed at least 61,369 people and wounded 152,850 in Gaza.
Salah, who was the Premier League’s top scorer last season, is due to line up for Liverpool on Sunday in the Community Shield at Wembley against Crystal Palace, the traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season.
