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Christantus Uche and Francis Uzoho produced standout performances on a decisive night for Nigerian footballers across Europe, offering contrasting responses to their Africa Cup of Nations fortunes, Footynaija.com reports.
At Polka Park, Uche delivered his most complete display yet in Crystal Palace colours, driving a dominant 3–0 win over Shelbourne in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The 22-year-old, omitted from Nigeria’s final 28-man AFCON squad earlier in the day, responded with purpose and poise.
He opened the scoring in the 11th minute after linking smartly with Eddie Nketiah, before turning provider 14 minutes later when his saved effort fell kindly for the striker to make it 2–0.
Yeremy Pino’s 37th-minute finish sealed a commanding first half that lifted Palace to ninth in the group and ended Shelbourne’s European hopes.
Uche nearly added a second after the break, gliding past two defenders before firing over, capping a night that underlined his growing adaptation to English football.
His exclusion from Eric Chelle’s AFCON squad remains one of the most debated decisions, especially given his versatility and breakout season at Getafe before joining Palace.
In Vienna, Uzoho strengthened his case for Nigeria’s No.2 shirt with a superb goalkeeping display in Omonia Nicosia’s 1–0 win over Rapid Wien.
The 26-year-old made six crucial saves, showcasing authority and sharp reflexes as Omonia weathered 17 shots and maintained their push for a Round of 16 playoff spot. His clean sheet, his second straight in Europe, came hours after he earned a surprise AFCON recall.
There was also action for Kelechi Iheanacho, who returned from injury in Celtic’s 3–0 loss to Roma. He had a goal ruled out by VAR but still missed out on AFCON selection due to form and fitness concerns.
