A Nigerian woman identified as Nneka Ede has become the first African woman to own a European football club.
On Thursday, an official statement was released concerning the Nigerian entrepreneur, Nneka Ede, after she acquired a Portuguese club, Lusitano Ginásio Clube, Futebol, SAD.
Lusitano competes in the third division of Portugal’s football pyramid, the Campeonato de Portugal, and Mrs Nneka purchased the 108-year-old club in June 2020.
She said:
“I am excited about this opportunity and I hope that this new chapter will deepen the already great sporting relations between Nigeria and Portugal, continue with the rich history of Lusitano club and provide a pathway for young talent to develop and shine through.
Also, the club confirmed this new development in a statement. A statement from the club said:
“After months of negotiations with different entities, an agreement has been reached with Mrs Nneka Ede, a sports enthusiast and entrepreneur from Nigeria, a country filled with people as passionate and fiery about football as us and which incidentally share the same green and white in their flags, towards the transfer of the ownership of the SAD to the latter that will help us in our mission to take Lusitano to the next level.”
She becomes the second Nigerian to purchase a Portuguese club after businessman Kunle Soname bought Clube Desportivo Feirense in 2015.
Lusitano was Founded on the 11th of November 1911 by a group of high school and commercial school youngsters.
“Administration informs that it has reached an agreement with Ms Nneka Ede, a sports enthusiast and businesswoman in Nigeria, with a view to gathering the necessary support to catapult the Lusitano to the levels it deserves. The future is green and white!” it wrote on its official Instagram page.