High-flying, Grammy Award-Winning, Oscar-nominated Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, became the first African woman to join the ownership group of a Major League Soccer (MLS) team.

Through her company, The Leading Vibe, Tems joined the Major League Soccer club as a Club Partner, joining forces with with Pave Investments, an African private investment firm that was recently involved in leading an investment group to invest in NBA Africa’s entity in 2021.

The 29-year-old who joins a group of influential global figures, expressed her excitement about the partnership, as she made known the similarity of music and sports in their ability to give opportunities to young talents.

“To be very honest, music and sports, they’re kind of similar in the way that they give opportunities to the young talents and the young generations coming up.

” Proud to support SDFC’s Right2dream initiative, empowering young talent on and off the field, the Grammy Awards winner stated.”

San Diego FC’s Chief Executive Officer, Tom Penn, while speaking with the club media after the announcement, described Tems as an extraordinary artist.

“Tems is an extraordinary artist and a cultural force worldwide; We are honoured to have her join our Club and bring her visionary perspective to San Diego FC. 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.”