{"id":848859,"date":"2025-05-16T22:12:26","date_gmt":"2025-05-17T03:12:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/16\/10-africans-who-own-foreign-football-clubs\/"},"modified":"2025-05-16T22:12:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-17T03:12:26","slug":"10-africans-who-own-foreign-football-clubs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/16\/10-africans-who-own-foreign-football-clubs\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Africans Who Own Foreign Football Clubs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Football is more than just a game,\u00a0it\u2019s a massive industry worth billions of dollars. While African players have long been stars on the field, a growing number of African entrepreneurs and investors are now taking charge off the pitch by owning football clubs abroad.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These individuals are not just passionate about the sport but are also using their resources to shape its future.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at 10 Africans who have made their mark in foreign football club ownership.<\/p>\n

Kunle Soname (Portugal \u2013 C.D. Feirense)<\/h2>\n
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Kunle Soname, a Nigerian businessman, is the first Nigerian to own a European football club. In 2015, he acquired a majority stake in C.D. Feirense, a Portuguese team, marking a historic moment for African investors in football.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Soname is also the founder of Bet9ja, one of Nigeria\u2019s biggest sports betting platforms. His love for football doesn\u2019t stop there\u2014he also owns Remo Stars FC, a Nigerian club known for developing young talent.<\/p>\n

Nneka Ede (Portugal \u2013 Lusitano Gin\u00e1sio Clube, Futebol, SAD)<\/h2>\n
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Nneka Ede made history in 2020 by becoming the first African woman to own a European football club. She purchased Lusitano Gin\u00e1sio Clube, Futebol, SAD, a Portuguese club with over a century of history. Her vision for the club is to create a pathway for African footballers to showcase their talent in Europe.<\/p>\n

Tems (USA \u2013 San Diego FC)<\/h2>\n
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Nigerian music star Tems shocked the world in 2025 when she became part of the ownership group of San Diego FC, a Major League Soccer (MLS) club in the United States. This move made her the first African woman with a stake in an MLS club. Known for her Grammy-winning music, Tems sees football as a way to unite people across cultures, making her investment more than just business\u2014it\u2019s about impact.<\/p>\n

Shola Akinlade (Denmark \u2013 Aarhus Fremad)<\/h2>\n
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Shola Akinlade, co-founder of Paystack, made a surprising move into football when he acquired a majority stake in Danish club Aarhus Fremad in 2023. His goal? To create more opportunities for African footballers to break into European football. Before this, he founded Sporting Lagos FC in Nigeria, showing his deep passion for the sport and youth development.<\/p>\n

Eniola Aluko (Italy \u2013 FC Como Women)<\/h2>\n
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Eniola Aluko, a British-Nigerian former footballer, transitioned from playing on the field to owning a club. In 2024, she became a board member of Italy\u2019s FC Como Women. Her background as a former England international and Chelsea Women\u2019s player, alongside her experience in sports management, makes her a strong force in shaping women\u2019s football.<\/p>\n

Kingsley Pungong (Czech Republic \u2013 MFK Vyskov)<\/h2>\n
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Cameroonian businessman Kingsley Pungong took ownership of MFK Vyskov, a Czech club, in 2017. Through his company, Rainbow Sports Global, he has helped African talents get European exposure. Although he later sold the club in 2024, his role in expanding African football\u2019s presence in Europe remains significant.<\/p>\n

Samih Sawiris (Switzerland \u2013 FC Luzern)<\/h2>\n
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Egyptian investor Samih Sawiris made his football debut by acquiring a stake in Swiss club FC Luzern in 2011. Coming from one of Egypt\u2019s wealthiest families, Sawiris has been instrumental in boosting the club\u2019s financial strength and long-term plans.<\/p>\n

Patrice Motsepe (South Africa \u2013 Mamelodi Sundowns)<\/h2>\n
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South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe<\/a> is best known for his ownership of Mamelodi Sundowns, but his influence extends far beyond that. As president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), he has played a key role in the growth of football on the continent. His impact is not just about ownership but also leadership in the sport.<\/p>\n

Nassef Sawiris (England \u2013 Aston Villa)<\/h2>\n
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Nassef Sawiris, another member of Egypt\u2019s powerful Sawiris family, co-owns Aston Villa, one of England\u2019s oldest football clubs. Since taking over in 2018, he has helped the club regain its place in the Premier League, investing heavily in player transfers and infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Akosua Puni Essien (Italy \u2013 Como 1907)<\/h2>\n
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Ghanaian businesswoman Akosua Puni Essien made waves in 2017 when she bought Como 1907, an Italian club. The wife of former Chelsea star Michael Essien, she took on the challenge of rebuilding the club, which had struggled with financial difficulties.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Oluwadamilola Olanrewaju
Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Football is more than just a game,\u00a0it\u2019s a massive industry worth billions of dollars. While African players have long been stars on the field, a growing number of African entrepreneurs and investors are now taking charge off the pitch by owning football clubs abroad.\u00a0 These individuals are not just passionate about the sport but are<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":848860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45293,4303],"tags":[45292,6333],"class_list":["post-848859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-africans","category-foreign","tag-africans","tag-foreign"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=848859"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848859\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/848860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=848859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=848859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=848859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}