By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Nigeria international Christantus Uche may face internal disciplinary action from Crystal Palace after reporting late to the club following the recent international break, sources have confirmed.
The 23-year-old Nigerian forward, who joined Palace from Getafe during the summer transfer window, was left out of the squad for the club’s Premier League clash against Bournemouth, failing to make the matchday bench.
Uche was among 15 Crystal Palace players called up for international duty, featuring for Nigeria in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where the Super Eagles secured victories over Lesotho and Benin.
However, according to club sources, both Uche and Rio Cardines returned late from their respective national team commitments — a decision that reportedly influenced their exclusion from the Bournemouth fixture.
The club is expected to handle the situation internally, with a possible fine or further sanction being considered depending on the outcome of the review.
Uche’s absence came at a time when manager Oliver Glasner was dealing with a stretched squad due to injuries and player fatigue from international travel, further compounding the selection challenges.
As of now, neither the club nor the player has issued an official statement on the matter.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
