Caleb Kporha: Crystal Palace's 1%
As Oliver Glasner’s style of play continues to be perfected, the need for Palace’s academy to unearth talented wing-backs becomes greater, especially considering the lack of depth in these positions across the first team.
Players to watch in these roles include Franco Umeh, Danny Imray, Dean Benamar, and, finally, the focus of this article, 18-year-old Caleb Kporha. Kporha has been training consistently with the first team this season and is widely regarded among the most promising prospects at the club.
After making his professional debut against Fulham in the 2-0 loss, Kporha is set for his first start for Palace as Glasner’s side travel to North London to face Arsenal in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup. Suspension for Palace’s Colombian stalwart Daniel Munoz sees him miss both the cup and league fixture against the Gunners, leaving room for Kporha to step in and stake a claim for a starting place in the side.
Glasner has shown a huge amount of belief in the academy prospect, but can Kporha become one of Crystal Palace’s 1%.
Who is Caleb Kporha?
One of the players featured in the Channel Four docuseries about Palace’s academy, Kporha joined the Palace setup from Welling United in 2021. Signing his first scholarship, he played under the management of Rob Quinn in the Under-18s, and was deployed anywhere on the right-hand side as well as in central midfield.
He signed his first professional contract in July 2023, committing his future to the club. Suffering a lengthy spell on the sidelines in the 2023/24 campaign due to injury, Kporha has only recently been back to action, playing in the pre-season ahead of the current campaign.
Kporha’s season so far
Bouncing back from injury can be difficult, but for Kporha, the start of the current campaign was nothing short of perfect. Playing in Darren Powell’s Under-21 side, Kporha scored once and assisted three times in just the first five games of the season, earning him a seat on a Premier League bench for the first time in October as Palace lost 1-0 to Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
Since then, he has featured on the bench in a further eight senior games, making his first senior appearance in the 2-0 home defeat to Fulham - a landmark moment for the youngster. 
Caleb Kporha's debut against Fulham (Credit: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
After Daniel Munoz’s booking against Brighton, the fullback will miss Palace’s next two fixtures against Arsenal (away in the League Cup, and at home in the Premier League). In previous years, Palace fans would have been expecting a veteran player to step in, either Joel Ward or Nathaniel Clyne. However, Glasner now choosing to opt for Kporha shows just how impressive the academy product has been.
Analysing Kporha’s style of play
Kporha is a well-rounded wing-back, who uses his experience from playing across the right-hand side to make him strong in both attacking and defensive scenarios - not dissimilar to Munoz.
He has a strong crossing ability which allows him to deliver pacey, whipped crosses with either the inside or outside of his foot. His low centre of gravity allows him to beat opponents in one-on-one situations, whilst also standing attacking players up and defending against them with confidence and consistency.
His natural pace makes him a threat for longer passes, and in a similar vein to Munoz, he has an engine that makes him a perfect fit for Glasner’s high-pressing style. Technically excellent for his age, Kporha is in a position where Glasner is able to mould him into a perfect fit for his system, while he learns from the likes of Munoz and Clyne.
Can Kporha make it at Palace?
Oliver Glasner has already proven to the fans and to the players that he is willing to give chances to academy players, stressing the importance of those players taking their opportunity when presented with it. We have seen the success of Justin Devenny’s 2024/25 campaign so far, playing consistently and even scoring at Villa Park.
Kporha impressed on his debut, despite the cameo lasting just the final eight minutes of Palace’s 2-0 home defeat to Fulham, putting in a couple of good deliveries. If he is handed a start against Arsenal, it will be important that he takes his chance and impresses not only Glasner, but also the fans.
If Kporha can impress against Arsenal on his full debut, there is no reason why he won’t go on to have a successful career at Crystal Palace.
Thumbnail Credit: Getty Images
Henry Swain
JOURNALIST (ACADEMY)
A season ticket holder from the age of 5 to 18, Henry is as passionate a Palace fan as you’re likely to find. Enjoying the finer details of football, it’s the players that go under the radar that catch his attention. He watches every Palace game there is and has a keen passion for academy football. When he’s not watching or talking about football, Henry can be found binging a Netflix series or losing games on FIFA.
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