Suleiman Ahmed Zaid Obeid, also spelled Sulaiman Al-Obaid (Arabic: سليمان العبيد; 24 March 1984 – 6 August 2025), was a Palestinian international footballer who played as a forward and winger in the Gaza Strip Premier League and one season in the Gaza Strip First Division.[2] Obeid was also known as the "Palestinian Pelé", after the Brazilian footballer.[3]
 Obeid playing for Khadamat Al-Shatea | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Suleiman Ahmed Zaid Obeid | ||
| Date of birth | 24 March 1984[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Israeli Civil Administration[1] | ||
| Date of death | 6 August 2025 (aged 41) | ||
| Place of death | Gaza Strip, Palestine | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Positions | |||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2006 | Khadamat Al-Shatea | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2009 | Khadamat Al-Shatea | (13) | |
| 2009–2013 | Markaz Shabab Al-Am'ari | (40) | |
| 2013–2014 | Khadamat Al-Shatea | (7) | |
| 2014–2016[2] | Gaza Sport | (29) | |
| 2016–2023[2] | Khadamat Al-Shatea | (62) | |
| Total | (151) | ||
| International career | |||
| 2007–2013 | Palestine | 24 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
Suleiman Obeid spent his entire career playing in the Gaza Strip, and he joined the academy of Khadamat Al-Shatea in 2005.[2] He then debuted for the senior team in 2007.[3] He left in 2009 to join Markaz Shabab Al-Am'ari where he won the 2010–11 Gaza Strip Premier League title and was a runner-up in the 2012 AFC President's Cup;[2][4] he scored twice in the competition on 28 September 2012 during the 5–1 victory against Khan Research Laboratories in the second group stage.
He rejoined Khadamat Al-Shatea during the 2013–14 season before joining Gaza Sport ahead of the 2014–15 season. He scored 29 goals for Gaza Sport before he joined Khadamat Al-Shatea again in 2016.[2]
Obeid was the Gaza Strip Premier League top scorer during the 2016–17 season with fifteen goals.[5] He finished as a league runner-up during 2019–20 and stayed with the club as they were relegated to the Gaza Strip First Division in June 2022.[2] He was part of the team which won promotion back to the Gaza Strip Premier League after finishing as runners-up in the 2022–23 Gaza Strip First Division, and he retired after club football was suspended in Palestine on 7 October 2023 due to the Gaza war;[6] in his final season, he played all six matches of the shortened 2023–24 Palestine Professional League.
Across his club career, Obeid scored 151 league goals.[a]
International career
Obeid debuted for Palestine on 18 June 2007 during the 1–0 loss against Iraq at the 2007 WAFF Championship,[2] and he scored his first international goal on 27 September 2010 during the 2–1 loss against Yemen at the 2010 WAFF Championship.[7]
He also represented Palestine during the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification and the 2014 World Cup qualifying.[8][9]
Death
On 6 August 2025, Obeid was shot and killed by Israeli forces in Gaza while waiting for humanitarian aid alongside other civilians, according to the Palestinian Football Association. He was survived by his wife and five children.[3]
Career statistics
Club
Only league statistics are known.
| Club | Season | League | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | ||
| Khadamat Al-Shatea | 2005–06 | Gaza Strip Premier League | 0 | 0 |
| 2006–07 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | 5 | |||
| 2008–09 | 8 | |||
| Markaz Shabab Al-Am'ari | 2009–10 | 10 | ||
| 2010–11 | 11 | |||
| 2011–12 | 9 | |||
| 2012–13 | 10 | |||
| Khadamat Al-Shatea | 2013–14 | 7 | ||
| Gaza Sport | 2014–15 | 12 | ||
| 2015–16 | 17 | |||
| Khadamat Al-Shatea | 2016–17 | 15 | ||
| 2017–18 | 12 | |||
| 2018–19 | 7 | |||
| 2019–20 | 6 | |||
| 2020–21 | 11 | |||
| 2021–22 | 5 | |||
| 2022–23 | Gaza Strip First Division | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | Palestine Professional League | 6 | 4 | |
| Career total | 6+ | 151 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palestine | 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 15 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 24 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list Palestine's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Obeid goal.[2]
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 September 2010 | Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan | 4 |  Yemen |
1–2 | 1–3 | 2010 WAFF Championship | [7] |
| 2 | 22 August 2011 | Manahan Stadium, Surakarta, Indonesia | 14 |  Indonesia |
1–0 | 1–4 | Friendly | [10] |
Honours
Khadamat Al-Shatea
- Gaza Strip Premier League: runner-up 2019–20; third place 2009–10[2]
- Gaza Strip First Division: runner-up 2022–23[2]
Markaz Shabab Al-Am'ari
- Gaza Strip Premier League: 2010–11[2]
- AFC President's Cup runners-up: 2012[4]
Individual
- Gaza Strip Premier League top scorer: 2016–17[5]
Notes
See also
References
- 1 2 "استشهاد اللاعب السابق للمنتخب الوطني سليمان العبيد برصاص الاحتلال في قطاع غزة". Palestinian Football Association. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Sulaiman Al-Obaid (Player)". National Football Teams.
- 1 2 3 Tondo, Lorenzo (7 August 2025). "'Palestinian Pelé' killed in Israeli attack in southern Gaza". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 August 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- 1 2 "Istiklol are AFC President's Cup champions". the-afc.com. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
- 1 2 "استشهاد سليمان العبيد لاعب منتخب فلسطين السابق". FilGoal.com. 6 August 2025.
- ↑ Levy, Uri (6 May 2025). "Palestinian FA Considers Resuming Football Amid War". Babagol. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Palestine vs. Yemen 2010-09-27". National Football Teams.
- ↑ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™: - FIFA.com". FIFA.com.
- ↑ "كووورة: الموقع العربي الرياضي الأول".
- ↑ "Indonesia vs. Palestine 2011-08-22". National Football Teams.