Nneka Ede, a Nigerian businesswoman, has become the first African woman to own a European Club, after she took ownership of Portuguese side, Lusitano Ginásio Clube, Futebol, SAD.

The 108-year-old Lusitano Ginásio Clube plays in the Portuguese third division.

The sides home.

A statement from the Campeonato de Portuguese side said her ownership of the club followed months of negotiations, describing the Nigerian as “passionate and fiery about football.”

“After months of negotiations with different entities,” the club said, “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.”

Announcement by the club.

Mrs Ede said that the development opens a new chapter in her life that she hopes will deepen the sporting relationship between Nigeria and Portugal.

She also hopes her ownership of the Portuguese team will provide a pathway for the development of young talents.

“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,” she noted.