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John Utaka: Montpellier Appoint ex-Nigeria winger As Youth Coach

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Montpellier have appointed their former player and ex-Nigeria international John Utaka as coach of their U19 team.

The 38-year-old returns to Stade de la Mosson with the ambition of earning his coaching badge in the Ligue 1 club’s youth set-up.

Utaka spent two-and-a-half years at Montpellier between 2011 and 2013, and he helped La Paillade win their first-ever top-flight title in the 2011-12 season.

His brace in the club’s 2-1 win over Auxerre secured Montpellier’s triumph on May 12, 2012.

Ahead of his new sojourn, the Nigeria national team sent a congratulatory message to him.

“And the journey in coaching begins for John Utaka, the attacker with the Montpellier youth coach post. All the best poacher,” the Super Eagles official account wrote.

Utaka is the latest Nigeria legend to take up a coaching role after ex-captain Joseph Yobo was appointed as an assistant coach to Gernot Rohr in the national team.

Yobo also joined in felicitating with his former international teammates who scored six goals in 49 appearances for the Super Eagles.

“Congratulations John Utaka on your appointment as the youth football team coach at French League 1 side Montpellier. I wish you every success bro,” the ex-Everton defender wrote on Instagram.

The former Super Eagles attacker had a nomadic playing career across Nigeria, Egypt, Qatar, France, England and Turkey before retiring from football in 2018.

Utaka was the top scorer in the 1999-00 Egyptian Premier League season with 17 goals to his name.

During his 11-year career with the Super Eagles, he featured in the 2002 and 2010 Fifa World Cup tournaments, and he was also part of the team that won bronze at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations.

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Mohamed Salah: Liverpool forward commits future to club by signing new deal to stay at Anfield

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Mohamed Salah has committed his future to Liverpool by signing a new contract at Anfield; Salah was set to be out of contract in the summer, amid speculation linking him with a move away from the Reds; New deal keeps him with club until 2027

Mohamed Salah has ended speculation regarding his future by signing a new deal with Liverpool.

The 32-year-old has now put pen to paper on a new deal which Sky Sports News understands will keep him at Anfield until 2027.

It’s a major boost for Liverpool with Salah in scintillating form this season, helping power the club to the cusp of their 20th league title.

The Egypt international has helped fire Liverpool to the top of the Premier League with 27 goals and 17 assists.

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For the 4th Time, NFF appoints German Coach for Super Eagles

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The Nigeria Football Federation has announced that it has reached an agreement with German tactician, Bruno Labbadia, to become the Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles.

NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said in the early hours of Tuesday: “The NFF Executive Committee has approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee to appoint Mr. Bruno Labbadia as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles. The appointment is with immediate effect.”

Born in Darmstadt, Germany on 8th February 1966, Labbadia, who won two caps for Die Mannschaft in his playing career that took him through clubs such as home-town team Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Armenia Bielefeld and Karlsruher SC, triumphed in the German Bundesliga with Bayern Munich as a player in 1994.

He coached famous names Hertha Berlin and VfB Stuttgart this decade, and previously, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, Bayer Leverkusen, among others, and holds a UEFA Pro License.

He is only the sixth German, after Karl-Heinz Marotzke (who had two stints between 1970 and 1974), Gottlieb Göller (1981), Manfred Höner (1988-1989), Berti Vogts (2007-2008) and Gernot Rohr (2016-2021) to lead the Super Eagles.

Höner led the Eagles to runner-up position at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified and led Nigeria to the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

Labbadi’s immediate challenge is to take charge of the three-time African champions for two 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic (Saturday 7th Septemberin Uyo) and Rwanda (Tuesday, 10th Septemberin Kigali), with four other matches to conclude the qualifying race following in the months of October and November.

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UFC: Dricus de Plessis Defeats Adesanya in Title Defence

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* Victory came in fourth round of highly-anticipated clash

* du Plessis has defended his middleweight world title

Dricus du Plessis on Sunday submitted Israel Adesanya in the fourth round at UFC 305 to defend his middleweight title and add a decisive new chapter to their intense rivalry.

The South African executed a rear naked choke to take the win after rocking the ‘Style Bender’ with a left hook and a series of rights before taking him down.

The victory in Perth, Western Australia on Sunday (local time) came after du Plessis played a part in driving Adesanya to break down in tears and storm off the stage when he was asked about his family during their pre-fight press conference on Friday.

Du Plessis’s long rivalry with Nigerian-born Adesanya has seen them take shots at each other for years.

Both fighters have been battling each other for the ‘real African’ title for some time, after du Plessis claimed to be the first champion from the continent.

The statement infuriated Adesanya – who now represents New Zealand in the octagon – as well as Kamaru Usman, the former UFC welterweight champion.

However, the rivals were full of praise for each other after the fight was decided.

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