Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has praised Christantus Uche following his impressive first start for the club, capped with a well-taken goal in Palace's 3-0 rout of Shelbourne in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday. 

Uche has struggled for consistent game time since completing his loan move to Selhurst Park, with all nine of his previous appearances coming from the bench before the trip to Dublin.

As a result, he was overlooked for selection on Thursday evening when the Nigeria Football Federation announced a 28-man squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

In the 11th minute, Eddie Nketiah found space on the left and delivered a precise pass to Uche, who side-footed home with authority.

The Nigeria international was also instrumental in the build-up to Crystal Palace's second goal, clipping a clever effort against the post before Nketiah followed up to tap in.

Speaking after the match, Glasner highlighted the collective contribution of his attacking players while singling out Uche for his impact.

He told TNT Sports: "For the strikers, always the most important thing is scoring goals, but he also assisted one. 

"Eddie hit the post, Eddie scored one and Jeremy scored one, so all three who played upfront scored a goal and assisted each other.

"That's how it should be; this gives them confidence. It was time for Uche, he deserved it. He showed up against Fulham, and that's why he deserved it."

The Austrian manager added that Uche looked promising and reliable on his full debut.

"He also showed that he can help us and can score goals. That’s why it was a very good outing for him. Maybe the starting moment at Crystal Palace."

Ifeanyi Emmanuel