John Utaka
| Date of birth | 08 January 1982 |
| Place of birth | Legugnu |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Weight | 82 kg |
| Height | 1.79 m |
| Position | Midfielder/Forward |
Utaka has played the early part of his career in Egypt.
He is a fast striker with a good eye for goal and has been a prolific scorer at club level.
Utaka played no part in qualification for the 2002 World Cup finals and made his international debut in September 2001 against South Korea.
He was a surprise omission from the 2002 African Nations' Cup Finals squad after missing training camp.
Utaka joined Portsmouth in July 2007 with a four-year contract.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Sadd | 01 Jul 2001 | 01 Jul 2002 | |
| RC Lens | 01 Jul 2002 | 01 Jul 2005 | |
| Rennes | 01 Jul 2005 | 11 Jul 2007 | |
| Portsmouth | 11 Jul 2007 | 29 Jan 2011 | |
| Montpellier | 29 Jan 2011 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-03 | RC Lens | French Championnat | 24 | 11 |
8 |
3
|
|
| 2002-03 | RC Lens | UEFA Champions League | 5 | 1 |
2 |
||
| 2002-03 | RC Lens | UEFA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2003-04 | RC Lens | French Championnat | 26 | 6 |
4 |
1
|
|
| 2003-04 | RC Lens | UEFA Cup | 4 | 2 |
2 |
1
|
|
| 2004-05 | RC Lens | French Championnat | 33 | 1 |
12 |
4
|
|
| 2005-06 | Rennes | French Championnat | 27 | 1 |
11 |
3
|
|
| 2007-08 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 4 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Portsmouth | League Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2007-08 | Portsmouth | Premier League | 25 | 4 |
5 |
1
|
|
| 2008-09 | Portsmouth | FA Community Shield | 1 |
||||
| 2008-09 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2008-09 | Portsmouth | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2008-09 | Portsmouth | Premier League | 4 | 14 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2008-09 | Portsmouth | UEFA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2009-10 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 3 | 4 |
2 |
1
|
|
| 2009-10 | Portsmouth | League Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2009-10 | Portsmouth | Premier League | 10 | 8 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2010-11 | Portsmouth | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2010-11 | Portsmouth | League Championship | 23 | 2 |
3 |
3
|
|
| 2010-11 | Portsmouth | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2012-13 | Montpellier | UEFA Champions League | 1 | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03 Aug 2002 | Bastia v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 1 |
| 10 Aug 2002 | RC Lens v FC Sochaux Montbeliard | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 2 |
| 17 Aug 2002 | Sedan v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 3 |
| 24 Aug 2002 | Nantes v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 4 |
| 31 Aug 2002 | RC Lens v AS Monaco | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 5 |
| 14 Sep 2002 | RC Lens v Rennes | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 7 |
| 18 Sep 2002 | AC Milan v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group G |
| 21 Sep 2002 | Bordeaux v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 8 |
| 24 Sep 2002 | RC Lens v Bayern München | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group G |
| 28 Sep 2002 | RC Lens v Lille | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 9 |
| 01 Oct 2002 | Deportivo La Coruña v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group G |
| 05 Oct 2002 | Montpellier v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 10 |
| 19 Oct 2002 | RC Lens v Ajaccio AC | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 11 |
| 23 Oct 2002 | RC Lens v Deportivo La Coruña | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group G |
| 29 Oct 2002 | RC Lens v AC Milan | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group G |
| 02 Nov 2002 | RC Lens v Auxerre | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 13 |
| 09 Nov 2002 | Strasbourg v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 14 |
| 13 Nov 2002 | Bayern München v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group G |
| 16 Nov 2002 | RC Lens v Paris St Germain | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 15 |
| 23 Nov 2002 | Olympique Marseille v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 16 |
| 28 Nov 2002 | FC Porto v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | UEFA Cup | 3rd round 1st leg |
| 30 Nov 2002 | RC Lens v Guingamp | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 17 |
| 04 Dec 2002 | Troyes v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 18 |
| 12 Dec 2002 | RC Lens v FC Porto | D |
0-0 Agg: 0-0 |
UEFA Cup | 3rd round 2nd leg |
| 15 Dec 2002 | RC Lens v Le Havre | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 19 |
| 20 Dec 2002 | FC Sochaux Montbeliard v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 20 |
| 11 Jan 2003 | RC Lens v Sedan | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 21 |
| 22 Jan 2003 | AS Monaco v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 23 |
| 29 Jan 2003 | RC Lens v Olympique Lyonnais | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 24 |
| 01 Feb 2003 | Rennes v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 25 |
| 05 Feb 2003 | RC Lens v Bordeaux | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 26 |
| 08 Feb 2003 | Lille v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 27 |
| 22 Feb 2003 | RC Lens v Montpellier | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 28 |
| 01 Mar 2003 | Ajaccio AC v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 29 |
| 08 Mar 2003 | RC Lens v Nice | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 30 |
| 22 Mar 2003 | Auxerre v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 31 |
| 05 Apr 2003 | RC Lens v Strasbourg | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 32 |
| 12 Apr 2003 | Paris St Germain v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 33 |
| 19 Apr 2003 | RC Lens v Olympique Marseille | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 34 |
| 03 May 2003 | Guingamp v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 35 |
| 10 May 2003 | RC Lens v Troyes | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 36 |
| 20 May 2003 | Le Havre v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 37 |
| 24 May 2003 | RC Lens v Bastia | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 38 |
| 02 Aug 2003 | RC Lens v Le Mans | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 1 |
| 09 Aug 2003 | Nantes v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 2 |
| 14 Aug 2003 | RC Lens v Torpedo Kutaisi | W | 3-0 | UEFA Cup | Qualifying round 1st leg |
| 17 Aug 2003 | RC Lens v Olympique Marseille | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 3 |
| 23 Aug 2003 | Strasbourg v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 4 |
| 28 Aug 2003 | Torpedo Kutaisi v RC Lens | W |
0-2 Agg: 0-5 |
UEFA Cup | Qualifying round 2nd leg |
| 31 Aug 2003 | RC Lens v Nice | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 5 |
| 13 Sep 2003 | Rennes v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 6 |
| 20 Sep 2003 | RC Lens v Bordeaux | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 7 |
| 24 Sep 2003 | Cementarnica v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | UEFA Cup | 1st round 1st leg |
| 27 Sep 2003 | Olympique Lyonnais v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 8 |
| 04 Oct 2003 | RC Lens v Metz | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 9 |
| 15 Oct 2003 | RC Lens v Cementarnica | D |
0-0 Agg: 0-0 |
UEFA Cup | 1st round 2nd leg |
| 18 Oct 2003 | Bastia v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 10 |
| 25 Oct 2003 | RC Lens v Lille | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 11 |
| 02 Nov 2003 | Paris St Germain v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 12 |
| 06 Nov 2003 | Gaziantepspor v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | UEFA Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 09 Nov 2003 | RC Lens v Montpellier | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 13 |
| 22 Nov 2003 | AS Monaco v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 14 |
| 27 Nov 2003 | RC Lens v Gaziantepspor | D |
0-0 Agg: 0-0 |
UEFA Cup | 2nd round 2nd leg |
| 30 Nov 2003 | RC Lens v Guingamp | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 15 |
| 03 Dec 2003 | Toulouse v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 16 |
| 06 Dec 2003 | RC Lens v FC Sochaux Montbeliard | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 17 |
| 13 Dec 2003 | Auxerre v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 18 |
| 20 Dec 2003 | Ajaccio AC v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 19 |
| 10 Jan 2004 | RC Lens v Nantes | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 20 |
| 28 Feb 2004 | RC Lens v Olympique Lyonnais | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 26 |
| 06 Mar 2004 | Metz v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 27 |
| 13 Mar 2004 | RC Lens v Bastia | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 28 |
| 20 Mar 2004 | Lille v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 29 |
| 28 Mar 2004 | RC Lens v Paris St Germain | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 30 |
| 03 Apr 2004 | Montpellier v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 31 |
| 10 Apr 2004 | RC Lens v AS Monaco | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 32 |
| 01 May 2004 | RC Lens v Toulouse | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 34 |
| 08 May 2004 | FC Sochaux Montbeliard v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 35 |
| 11 May 2004 | RC Lens v Auxerre | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 36 |
| 15 May 2004 | RC Lens v Ajaccio AC | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 37 |
| 23 May 2004 | Le Mans v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 38 |
| 07 Aug 2004 | Toulouse v RC Lens | L | 1-0 | French Championnat | 1 |
| 14 Aug 2004 | RC Lens v Saint Etienne | W | 3-0 | French Championnat | 2 |
| 21 Aug 2004 | Istres v RC Lens | W | 0-2 | French Championnat | 3 |
| 28 Aug 2004 | RC Lens v AS Monaco | D | 1-1 | French Championnat | 4 |
| 11 Sep 2004 | SM Caen v RC Lens | L | 1-0 | French Championnat | 5 |
| 18 Sep 2004 | Strasbourg v RC Lens | D | 2-2 | French Championnat | 6 |
| 22 Sep 2004 | RC Lens v Paris St Germain | D | 2-2 | French Championnat | 7 |
| 26 Sep 2004 | Nantes v RC Lens | L | 1-0 | French Championnat | 8 |
| 02 Oct 2004 | RC Lens v Ajaccio AC | D | 1-1 | French Championnat | 9 |
| 24 Oct 2004 | RC Lens v Olympique Marseille | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 11 |
| 30 Oct 2004 | Bordeaux v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 12 |
| 06 Nov 2004 | RC Lens v Olympique Lyonnais | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 13 |
| 13 Nov 2004 | Nice v RC Lens | D | 1-1 | French Championnat | 14 |
| 20 Nov 2004 | RC Lens v Lille | D | 1-1 | French Championnat | 15 |
| 28 Nov 2004 | FC Sochaux Montbeliard v RC Lens | W | 1-2 | French Championnat | 16 |
| 04 Dec 2004 | RC Lens v Metz | W | 2-0 | French Championnat | 17 |
| 11 Dec 2004 | Rennes v RC Lens | L | 3-1 | French Championnat | 18 |
| 18 Dec 2004 | RC Lens v Bastia | W | 2-1 | French Championnat | 19 |
| 12 Jan 2005 | Saint Etienne v RC Lens | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 20 |
| 15 Jan 2005 | RC Lens v Istres | L | 0-1 | French Championnat | 21 |
| 22 Jan 2005 | AS Monaco v RC Lens | L | 2-0 | French Championnat | 22 |
| 26 Jan 2005 | RC Lens v SM Caen | L | 0-1 | French Championnat | 23 |
| 06 Feb 2005 | Paris St Germain v RC Lens | W | 0-2 | French Championnat | 25 |
| 05 Mar 2005 | RC Lens v Auxerre | W | 3-1 | French Championnat | 28 |
| 12 Mar 2005 | Olympique Marseille v RC Lens | L | 2-1 | French Championnat | 29 |
| 19 Mar 2005 | RC Lens v Bordeaux | W | 2-0 | French Championnat | 30 |
| 02 Apr 2005 | Olympique Lyonnais v RC Lens | L | 1-0 | French Championnat | 31 |
| 09 Apr 2005 | RC Lens v Nice | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 32 |
| 16 Apr 2005 | Lille v RC Lens | L | 2-1 | French Championnat | 33 |
| 23 Apr 2005 | RC Lens v FC Sochaux Montbeliard | W | 3-2 | French Championnat | 34 |
| 07 May 2005 | Metz v RC Lens | D | 1-1 | French Championnat | 35 |
| 14 May 2005 | RC Lens v Rennes | W | 5-2 | French Championnat | 36 |
| 21 May 2005 | Bastia v RC Lens | L | 3-1 | French Championnat | 37 |
| 28 May 2005 | RC Lens v Toulouse | W | 1-0 | French Championnat | 38 |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 6 | 2 |
1
|
||
| 2003-04 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 2 |
1
|
|||
| 2003-04 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Nigeria | Unity Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2004-05 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 3 | ||||
| 2005-06 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 4 | ||||
| 2005-06 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2006-07 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 2 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2006-07 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Nigeria | Africa Cup of Nations | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2007-08 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2008-09 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2008-09 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 2009-10 | Nigeria | International Friendly | 2 |
||||
| 2011-12 | Nigeria | FIFA World Cup | 2 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Sep 2001 | Korea Republic v Nigeria | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 16 Sep 2001 | Korea Republic v Nigeria | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Apr 2002 | Scotland v Nigeria | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Jun 2002 | Sweden v Nigeria | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
| 08 Sep 2002 | Angola v Nigeria | D | 0-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 1 |
| 29 Mar 2003 | Malawi v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 1 |
| 11 Jun 2003 | Nigeria v Brazil | L | 0-3 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Jul 2003 | Nigeria v Venezuela | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 27 Jan 2004 | Nigeria v Morocco | L | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group D |
| 31 Jan 2004 | Nigeria v South Africa | W | 4-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group D |
| 04 Feb 2004 | Benin v Nigeria | W | 1-2 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group D |
| 08 Feb 2004 | Cameroon v Nigeria | W | 1-2 | Africa Cup of Nations | Quarter-final |
| 11 Feb 2004 | Tunisia v Nigeria | L | 1-1 (3-5) | Africa Cup of Nations | Semi-final |
| 13 Feb 2004 | Nigeria v Mali | W | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | 3rd place |
| 29 May 2004 | Nigeria v Republic of Ireland | W | 3-0 | Unity Cup | |
| 31 May 2004 | Jamaica v Nigeria | W | 0-2 | Unity Cup | |
| 05 Jun 2004 | Nigeria v Rwanda | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 4 |
| 20 Jun 2004 | Angola v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 4 |
| 03 Jul 2004 | Nigeria v Algeria | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 4 |
| 05 Sep 2004 | Zimbabwe v Nigeria | W | 0-3 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 4 |
| 26 Mar 2005 | Nigeria v Gabon | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 4 |
| 04 Sep 2005 | Algeria v Nigeria | W | 2-5 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 4 |
| 27 Jan 2006 | Nigeria v Zimbabwe | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group D |
| 31 Jan 2006 | Nigeria v Senegal | W | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group D |
| 04 Feb 2006 | Nigeria v Tunisia | W | 1-1 (6-5) | Africa Cup of Nations | Quarter-final |
| 09 Feb 2006 | Senegal v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | 3rd place |
| 06 Feb 2007 | Ghana v Nigeria | L | 4-1 | International Friendly | |
| 24 Mar 2007 | Nigeria v Uganda | W | 1-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 3 |
| 02 Jun 2007 | Uganda v Nigeria | L | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 3 |
| 16 Jun 2007 | Niger v Nigeria | W | 1-3 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 3 |
| 08 Sep 2007 | Nigeria v Lesotho | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 3 |
| 14 Oct 2007 | Mexico v Nigeria | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 21 Jan 2008 | Ivory Coast v Nigeria | L | 1-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group B |
| 25 Jan 2008 | Nigeria v Mali | D | 0-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group B |
| 29 Jan 2008 | Nigeria v Benin | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group B |
| 27 May 2008 | Austria v Nigeria | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Jun 2008 | Nigeria v South Africa | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 1st round group 4 |
| 07 Jun 2008 | Sierra Leone v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 1st round group 4 |
| 06 Sep 2008 | South Africa v Nigeria | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 1st round group 4 |
| 29 May 2009 | Republic of Ireland v Nigeria | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 20 Jun 2009 | Tunisia v Nigeria | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 2nd round group B |
| 25 May 2010 | Nigeria v Saudi Arabia | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 30 May 2010 | Colombia v Nigeria | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2012 | Nigeria v Namibia | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 2nd round group F |
| 09 Jun 2012 | Malawi v Nigeria | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 2nd round group F |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.