Mohamed Ali Akid (5 July 1949[1] – 11 April 1979) was a Tunisian football forward who played for the Tunisia national team. He was part of the Tunisian squad that participated in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.[2] Akid also played for CS Sfaxien and Al-Riyadh.[3] The official version was that Akid was struck by lightning during a training session at his Saudi Arabian club Al-Riyadh on 11 April 1979.[4]
 Mohamed Akid in 1978 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mohamed Ali Akid | ||
| Date of birth | 5 July 1949 | ||
| Place of birth | Sfax, Tunisia | ||
| Date of death | 11 April 1979 (aged 29) | ||
| Place of death | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1967–1978 | CS Sfaxien | 307 | (126) |
| 1978–1979 | Al-Riyadh | ||
| International career | |||
| 1970–1979 | Tunisia | 52 | (15) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
The circumstances surrounding the death have fuelled a controversy between his surviving family and the authorities. After revolution, his family has requested for an autopsy to determine the cause of his death. The autopsy on 18 July 2012 confirmed the presence of two shots in his body and the son of Akid confirmed the implication of the Crown prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.[5]