Nigeria’s Nneka Ede Buys Third-Tier Portuguese Club
A Nigerian businesswoman, Mrs Nneka Ede, has made history as the first African woman to own an European side after acquiring Portuguese third tier football club, Lusitano Ginasio Clube, Futebol, SAD.
Lusitano Ginasio Clube competes in the Campeonato De Portugal which is the third division in the Portugal’s Football ranking.
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Nneka completed acquisition of the 108-year-old club on Thursday, according an official statement from the club.
“After months of negotiations with different entities, an agreement has been reached with Mrs Nneka Ede,” the club said, “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,” the statement partly reads.
Nneka, in a statement, said she hopes the chapter will create more lasting relationship in sports with Nigeria and Portugal.
“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.”
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The entrepreneur became the second Nigerian to own a Portuguese Club after fellow compatriot, Kunle Soname, who bought Clube Desportivo Feirense in 2015.
Lusitania was founded on 11th of November 1911 by a group of high school and commercial school youngsters.
The club name Lusitano was derived from Lusitania, a Roman name for the territory of Portugal south of Douro river and present-day Spanish region of Extremadura.
Lusatino competed in the Portuguese elite division for the first time in 1952/53 season and finished 7th.
The club enjoyed the top flight for 14 seasons between the 1950s and 60s and their highest rank was 5th in the 1956/57 season and also reached the Taça de Portugal twice.
