COSAFA has learnt with great sadness of the passing of Dudu Emmah Dube, a CAF and FIFA Match Commissioner, and former Eswatini Women’s Football President.
The multi-talented Dube played an instrumental role in the development of women’s football on the African continent, having been a player herself with Kappa Ladies, Two For Joy and Shepherds Athletics, and was also captain of the Eswatini national team for six years.
She excelled outside of football as well and had a green belt in Taekwando, and was an excellent tennis player. Dube also served as Teqball Eswatini Vice-President.
But it was in the Beautiful Game where she really made her mark and played a leading role in petitioning FIFA to support African women’s football at their 1998 Congress in Los Angeles.
“We are desperately sad to hear of the passing of Dudu, a great friend of COSAFA and an excellent match commissioner who was most recently with us at our 2020 Women’s Championship,” COSAFA General Secretary Sue Destombes says.
“She was always wonderful company and had left her mark on African women’s football. Her contribution to developing the game will not be forgotten.”
Dube was a graduate of the University of Eswatini and Tshwane University of Technology with majors in Environmental Health and a B-Tech in Environmental Studies respectively.
She had been working for the Eswatini Ministry of Health as an Environmental Health Officer, and is survived by three children and four grandchildren.