Former APR and AS Kigali women football clubs and national women team defender, Edith Umulisa has died of illness aged 35.

Umulisa breathed her last during the wee hours of Monday, December 26, at Butaro Hospital where she was hospitalized. She succumbed to an unidentified illness she has been battling for months.

In 2020, the deceased was appointed Freedom WFC head coach, but stepped down from her job earlier this year due to illness.

"We received sad news about her death just hours ago. People close to her recently told me that she was on ventilators for the past few days because her health was in critical conditions,” said Freedom WFC president Corneille Sadi Hakizimana.

The veteran underwent all possible tests but couldn’t detect any disease.

Times Sport understands that she survived breast cancer after she agreed to undergo breast surgery in 2018.

Umulisa played for different teams in the top flight women's league. She joined APR in 2008 joined APR WFC team before joining AS Kigali WFC.

She moved to Scandinavia in 2018 where she played for one year before hanging up the boots. The club eventually appointed her as their fitness coach, a job she did until she was appointed head coach of Freedom WFC.

She attended 'Licence C' coaching courses in Rubavu in August but she failed to finish the course due to illness.

Umulisa received her first national team call up in 2009 where she played as a central defender. She will be remembered for her high tackling ability and her leadership on and off the pitch.