The sports industry in Africa is witnessing significant change, with women increasingly impacting its direction. In areas like management, media, marketing, and athlete representation, African women are advancing within a field traditionally dominated by men. Their contributions are enhancing African sports globally and inspiring future female leaders. Here we highlight four African women making remarkable progress as football club proprietors.
Tems – From Music Stardom to MLS Club Ownership
Temilade Openiyi, widely known as Tems and originally from Nigeria, has achieved a milestone by becoming a part owner of the Major League Soccer (MLS) team San Diego FC through her company, The Leading Vibe. This makes her the first African woman to hold ownership in an MLS club.
As a two-time Grammy Award winner and Oscar nominee, Tems joins a notable ownership team that includes former World Cup champion Juan Mata. She expressed her enthusiasm about joining San Diego FC, emphasizing the club’s focus on creativity, culture, and community.
“I am thrilled to join San Diego FC’s ownership group and to be part of a club that celebrates creativity, culture, and the power of community,” she stated. “Football has a unique way of bringing people together, and I am excited to help build something special in San Diego, a city that thrives on diversity and innovation.”
Akosua Puni Essien – Breaking Ground in European Football Club Ownership
In 2017, Ghanaian entrepreneur Akosua Puni Essien became the first African woman to acquire a European football club by purchasing the Italian third-division team Como for €237,000 after it declared bankruptcy.
Her aim was to rejuvenate the club and promote youth talent development. “The new owner and her team wish to make both the first team and the youth team grow,” the club stated. “They will put their efforts into creating conditions to take the team back to Serie B and to develop the club’s young talents.”
Although her ownership was brief due to the club’s acquisition by the Indonesian consortium Djarum Group, Puni Essien’s achievement remains a significant step for African women in sports ownership.
Eniola Aluko – Shaping Women’s Football in Italy
Nigerian-born British football executive Eniola Aluko made history in 2024 by becoming the first African woman to serve on the board of an Italian top-tier football club, FC Como Women, through her participation in Mercury 13, a $100 million investment group.
Mercury 13 aims to revolutionize women’s football by investing in clubs across Europe and Latin America. Reflecting on her involvement, Aluko emphasized the importance of changing perceptions around women’s football and creating opportunities for growth.
“We bought the majority stakes in Como Women; it was the sort of play on how we can shift the narrative of women’s football, how we can speak to a new audience, and how we can create a new world in women’s football by investing in it.”
Aluko also has experience as a former Sporting Director at Aston Villa Women and Angel City FC, and has established a successful career in sports broadcasting.
Nneka Ede – A Visionary in Portuguese Football
In 2020, Nigerian Nneka Ede took full ownership of the Portuguese third-division club Lusitano Ginásio Clube, Futebol, SAD.
Ede, an ex-semi-professional footballer, worked towards the development of the club while providing opportunities for aspiring young football players.
“I am excited about this opportunity, and I hope that this new chapter will deepen the already great sporting relations between Nigeria and Portugal,” she expressed.
These women—Tems, Akosua Puni Essien, Eniola Aluko, and Nneka Ede—are pioneering figures reshaping the sports business arena in Africa and globally. By engaging in club ownership, investment, and executive roles, they are overcoming barriers and setting a precedent for future African women in sports, highlighting the essential role of diversity and inclusion in international sports governance.