Christantus Uche delivered his most convincing performance yet for Crystal Palace as they secured a commanding 3–0 win over Shelbourne in their UEFA Europa Conference League Matchday 5 clash at Polka Park on Thursday night, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 22-year-old, who was left out of Nigeria’s 28-man Africa Cup of Nations squad on Thursday, responded in the best possible way, with a performance full of purpose, intelligence and end product.
Uche opened the scoring in the 11th minute after a smart combination with Eddie Nketiah, finishing confidently to record his first Crystal Palace goal.
Fourteen minutes later, he turned creator when his initial effort was parried into the path of Nketiah, who reacted quickly to double Palace’s advantage.
Yeremy Pino added a third in the 37th minute, capping a relentless first-half display that left the Irish side struggling to contain Palace’s movement, tempo and attacking variations.
The win lifts Palace into ninth in the Conference League standings and keeps them firmly in contention for an automatic Round of 16 playoff spot. For Shelbourne, the defeat mathematically ends their European run.
Get Our Sports News First – Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!
Christantus Uche’s response after AFCON omission
Beyond the scoreline, this was an important night for Uche.
Palace had previously considered sending him back to Girona after a difficult settling-in period, but his recent resurgence has shifted internal opinions. Wednesday’s performance, both composed and dynamic, served as further evidence of his adjustment to English football.
Uche nearly doubled his tally in the 72nd minute when he weaved past two defenders with exquisite footwork but fired over with a heavy strike.
Palace, who registered 29 shots with 10 on target, could easily have added more. Shelbourne managed only five attempts all evening, with their first and only effort on target arriving deep into stoppage time.
Uche’s AFCON omission remains one of the biggest surprises of the Nigerian squad announcement.
The on-loan Getafe ace, one of the most versatile young players available to the Super Eagles, can operate as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder, attacking midfielder, second striker or centre-forward.
His breakthrough campaign at Getafe last season, his debut year in La Liga, placed him on several Premier League radars, including Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He ultimately signed for Palace, despite publicly stating he would have preferred one more season in Spain. That decision, some Nigerian fans believe, may have cost him a spot at the continental showpiece in Morocco.
Nigeria coach Eric Chelle has instead opted for the midfield trio of Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka and Raphael Onyedika, complemented by newcomers Usman Muhammed and Tochukwu Nnadi.
For Uche, Wednesday’s confident display was a reminder of his quality for those who doubted whether he should be on the plane to Morocco.
