A Nigerian business woman, Mrs Nneka Ede has purchased an age-long Portugese third division side, Lusitiano Ginasio Clube.
Mrs Ede reportedly secured ownership of the 108-year-old Portuguese club in June 2020, only for the official announcement to be made months later.
A statement from the club clearly mentioned Mrs Ede, a sports enthusiast, as the legal owner of club.
The statement reads:
“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.”
It would be the very first time an African woman would own a European club. The club has two Nigerian players in their squad, 21 years old attacker Frank Okenwa and 25 years old Midfielder Sunday Abalo.
Meanwhile, Mrs Ede has expressed excitement over her recent achievement, and promised to use the channel to help young talent to develop and shine.
“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.”
Congratulations to her!
