Grammy Award-winning Nigerian singer, songwriter, and producer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has joined the ownership group of Major League Soccer’s (MLS) San Diego Football Club (San Diego FC) as a club partner.
This announcement marks a significant milestone as Tems becomes the first African woman to hold an ownership stake in an MLS team.
Speaking to Fox 5, Tems expressed her enthusiasm about this new venture.
“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. 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.”
On her social media, she wrote, “I get to be a part of a family that encompasses everything I believe in with the SDFC’s Right To Dream initiative, which is all about giving young talents the opportunity to shine both on and off the field.”
San Diego FC Chairman Sir Mohamed Mansour welcomed Tems to the club and highlighted the opportunity to reach new audiences.
“We are delighted that Tems has joined San Diego FC as a Club Partner. Tems is a globally significant artist who will help us to reach new audiences and spread the word about our unique project, which of course has its foundations in sub-Saharan Africa through the unique Right to Dream organization.”
Tems joins San Diego FC in partnership with Pave Investments, an African private investment firm known for its involvement in leading a group of strategic investors to support NBA Africa in 2021.
San Diego FC CEO Tom Penn highlighted the alignment between Tems’ values and the club’s mission, stating, “Her passion for empowering the next generation aligns perfectly with our mission, and her commitment to creating opportunities for young talent domestically and globally reflects the core values of Right to Dream.
“We also look forward to creating meaningful connections between the music world and San Diego FC, uniting communities through the shared power of culture and sport.”
Tems joins a distinguished group of club partners, including actress Issa Rae, World Cup-winning footballer Juan Mata, retired U.S. Navy SEAL Jocko Willink, and San Diego Padres’ MLB All-Star Manny Machado.
San Diego FC is set to begin its inaugural MLS season on February 23, 2025, with an away match against the defending champions, LA Galaxy.
