John Utaka: Career Stats, Clubs, Age & Nationality

John Utaka: profile

John Utaka (born 8 January 1982 in Enugu, Nigeria) is a retired Nigerian footballer who played as a forward.

Utaka made the step into senior football with Enugu Rangers in 1996. He played for 10 clubs in 7 countries since 1996. The busiest spell of his career was at R.C. Lens (2002–2005): 102 appearances and 24 goals. Across all recorded club spells he totals 469 appearances and 125 goals.

At international level, Utaka represented Nigeria (2002–2014), earning 43 caps and scoring 6 goals. Our match database lists 3 of his international goals; the first came against Benin on 4 February 2004 (Africa Cup of Nations).

Enugu has produced 41 footballers in our database, including Jay-Jay Okocha, Peter Utaka and Chinedu Obasi.

Key facts

Senior international debut: 2002 (aged about 20)
First international goal: 2004 – aged 22 (match)
Countries played in: 7: Nigeria, Egypt, Qatar, France, United Kingdom, Turkey and Peru
Club goals per game: 0.27 (125 in 469)
Height: 179 cm — taller than 45% of Nigerian internationals on record
Latest move: Sivasspor (2013)
Shares a birthday with: Ryan Mendes, Michael Mancienne and Cheick Doucouré (more)

Club career

Years	Club	League	Apps	Goals
1996–1997	Enugu Rangers	Nigeria Premier Football League	–	–
1997–1998	Enugu Rangers	Nigeria Premier Football League	6	2
1998–2000	Al Mokawloon Al Arab SC	Egyptian Premier League	45	12
2000–2001	Ismaily SC	Egyptian Premier League	21	17
2001–2002	Al Sadd Sports Club	Qatar Stars League	27	14
2002–2005	R.C. Lens	Ligue 1	102	24
2005–2007	Stade Rennais F.C.	Ligue 1	63	22
2007–2011	Portsmouth F.C.	EFL Championship	90	10
2011–2013	Montpellier Hérault Sport Club	Ligue 2	68	12
2013–2015	Sivasspor	TFF First League	47	12
—	FBC Melgar	Peruvian Primera División	–	–
	Total		469	125

Appearances and goals are league figures where recorded on Wikidata; “–” means not recorded.

International career

Years	Team	Level	Caps	Goals
2002–2014	Nigeria	Senior	43	6

International goals (3)

#	Date	Match	Min	Competition
1	4 Feb 2004	Nigeria 2–1 Benin	76	Africa Cup of Nations
2	8 Feb 2004	Cameroon 1–2 Nigeria	73	Africa Cup of Nations
3	4 Sep 2005	Algeria 2–5 Nigeria	42	World Cup Qualification

*Goals listed are those present in our match-by-match goal database, which is most complete for tournament matches.

Frequently asked questions

How old is John Utaka?

John Utaka was born on 8 January 1982, which makes him 44 years old.

Where was John Utaka born?

John Utaka was born in Enugu, Nigeria.

Which national team does John Utaka play for?

John Utaka played international football for Nigeria. He has 43 caps and 6 goals on record.

Which clubs has John Utaka played for?

John Utaka's recorded clubs are Enugu Rangers, Al Mokawloon Al Arab SC, Ismaily SC, Al Sadd Sports Club, R.C. Lens, Stade Rennais F.C., Portsmouth F.C., Montpellier Hérault Sport Club, Sivasspor and FBC Melgar.

How tall is John Utaka?

John Utaka is 179 cm (5 ft 10 in) tall.

What position does John Utaka play?

John Utaka played as a forward.