John Utaka
Utaka with Sivasspor in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Chukwudi Utaka | ||
| Date of birth | 8 January 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Enugu, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker / Winger | ||
| Club information | |||
|
Current team
|
Aswan | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–1998 | Enugu Rangers | 6 | (2) |
| 1998–1999 | El Mokawloon | 25 | (5) |
| 1999–2001 | Ismaily | 42 | (30) |
| 2001–2002 | Al-Sadd | 27 | (14) |
| 2002–2005 | Lens | 102 | (24) |
| 2005–2007 | Rennes | 63 | (22) |
| 2007–2011 | Portsmouth | 90 | (10) |
| 2011–2013 | Montpellier | 68 | (12) |
| 2013–2015 | Sivasspor | 47 | (12) |
| 2016 | Ismaily | 0 | (0) |
| 2016 | Nogoom El Mostakbal | 0 | (0) |
| 2017– | Aswan | 2 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2002–2014 | Nigeria | 43 | (6) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 October 2015. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 May 2014 |
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John Chukwudi Utaka (born 8 January 1982 in Enugu) is a Nigerian footballer who currently plays as a striker for Egyptian Second Division side Nogoom El Mostakbal. He is the older brother of Peter Utaka, who plays for Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan. Utaka has played at two World Cups and three Africa Cup of Nations for Nigeria since his debut in 2002.
Utaka has played for several clubs across three continents, first for Arab Contractors and subsequently Ismaily of Egypt, and then spending a season playing for Al-Sadd of Qatar, before joining Racing Lens and later Rennes in France. During his career he has mainly been utilised as a pacy winger making him a very effective element in a team's counter-attacking style of play.
Utaka struggled to make an impact at the start of his Rennes stint. However, he took advantage of the absence of fellow striker Alexander Frei through injury to make his breakthrough. In February 2006, he scored two consecutive hat-tricks, against Lens and Lyon, and as a result received the L'Equipe's player of the month award.
In Egypt, while with Ismaily, Utaka earned cult status with the local fans. They used to chant "Oh Oh Oh Utaka, Oh Oh Oh Utaka" during the matches. He played alongside the likes of Mohammed Barakat, Islam El-Shater, and captain Mohamed Salah Abo Greisha under the guidance of Mohsen Saleh, later appointed coach of Egypt.
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