Christantus Uche delivered his most assured performance yet in a Crystal Palace shirt as the Eagles cruised to a dominant 3–0 victory over Shelbourne in their UEFA Europa Conference League Matchday 5 clash at Polka Park on Thursday night.
The 22-year-old midfielder, unexpectedly omitted from Nigeria’s 28-man Africa Cup of Nations squad earlier in the day, responded with purpose, maturity and end product—providing the perfect rebuttal to his exclusion.
Uche opened the scoring in the 11th minute after a slick exchange with Eddie Nketiah, coolly slotting home his first goal for Palace. Fourteen minutes later, he turned provider as his driven effort was parried into the path of Nketiah, who reacted sharply to double the lead.
Yeremy Pino added a third in the 37th minute, sealing a relentless first-half display that left Shelbourne overwhelmed by Palace’s pace, movement and attacking variety.
The victory lifts Palace to ninth in the Conference League standings and keeps them firmly in the race for an automatic Round of 16 playoff berth. For Shelbourne, the defeat officially ends their European campaign.
Uche Makes a Statement After AFCON Omission
Beyond the scoreline, the night carried deeper significance for Uche.
Following a challenging start to life in London and early discussions about sending him back to Girona the midfielder’s recent resurgence has altered opinions within the club. His composed, energetic showing against Shelbourne further underscored his adaptation to English football.
Uche nearly grabbed a second in the 72nd minute, dancing past two defenders with impressive footwork before blasting narrowly over.
Palace peppered the Irish side with 29 shots 10 on target while Shelbourne managed just five attempts, mustering their only effort on goal deep into stoppage time.
Uche’s AFCON omission remains one of the biggest surprises from Nigeria’s squad announcement. The versatile Super Eagles prospect capable of playing anywhere from defensive midfield to centre-forward was expected by many to make the final list after a standout breakthrough season at Getafe last year.
Though he sealed a move to Crystal Palace despite initially preferring another year in Spain, some Nigerian fans believe the switch may have influenced his exclusion from the Morocco-bound squad.
Nigeria coach Eric Chelle instead selected a midfield core of Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, and Raphael Onyedika, alongside newcomers Usman Muhammed and Tochukwu Nnadi.
