Former Super Eagles striker, John Utaka, has taken the reins as head coach of French D’Arkema League side Montpellier Féminines.
Utaka steps in to replace Senegalese tactician Frédéric Mendy, who was relieved of his duties following a string of disappointing results.
The 43-year-old will work alongside French assistant coach, Baptiste Merle, with Jean-Louis Saez continuing in his role as sporting director.
The ex-Nigerian international is no stranger to Montpellier, having starred for the club between January 2011 and July 2013.
In his debut season, he helped fire the team to a historic Ligue 1 title. He later returned in May 2020 to begin his coaching career with the club’s youth setup.
Utaka earned 48 caps for Nigeria, scoring six goals. He featured in the squads for the 2002 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, and was part of the Super Eagles team that claimed bronze at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
