In the ruins of his home in Khan Younis, 75-year-old Shaker Safi slowly turns through faded photographs of his son Mohammed’s career as a football coach. The images of medals, trophies, and team photos now serve as a painful reminder of dreams shattered by war.
On November 15, 2023, Mohammed Safi, a beloved football coach and physical education teacher, was killed in an Israeli airstrike. He had spent years building a legacy of hope through sports, coaching youth teams at local schools and community clubs. Mohammed turned underdog teams into champions, offering young people in Gaza a sense of purpose and hope.
A graduate of Al-Aqsa University in physical education, Mohammed was the head coach of Al-Amal Football Club in southern Gaza. He was widely respected for his work with children aged six to 16, nurturing their talent and inspiring them to dream big.
“My son dreamt of representing Palestine internationally,” says Shaker, his father, surrounded by the remains of Mohammed’s trophies and photos. “He believed sport could lift youth from despair. But the war reached him before he could reach the world.”
Now displaced, Mohammed’s wife Nermeen and their four children – Shaker Jr, 16, Amir, 14, Alma, 11, and Taif, 7 – are left to grapple with the void his death has created in their lives.
The children hold onto their father’s last football and coaching notes, keeping them as precious reminders of the man they loved.
Nermeen, an art teacher, gently comforts Taif, who asks, “Why did they take Daddy from us?”
“He was a man of dreams, not politics,” she says softly. “He wanted to be an international referee. He dreamed of earning his master’s degree. Instead, he was killed for being a symbol of life and youth.”
Mohammed Safi is one of hundreds of athletes and sports professionals who have been killed or displaced since the war began. The Palestinian Olympic Committee reports that 582 athletes have lost their lives since October 7, 2023, including national team players, coaches, and administrators.
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