Get the lowdown on today’s opponents: Crystal Palace Academy.
The Opposition
Crystal Palace’s Academy enjoyed a promising and formative 2024/25 season, marked by strong performances across age groups and exciting progression for individual players.
The Under‑21s made it to the semi‑finals of the Premier League 2 play‑offs before narrowly losing to Southampton after extra time, with standout midfielder Hindolo Mustapha earning the club’s Under-21 Player of the Season award and garnering Premier League 2 Player of the Month nominations. Meanwhile, the Under-18s finished in a respectable sixth spot in the Premier League South, gaining invaluable experience and producing rising talents such as Dean Benamar, who scored on his England Under-17 debut, and Seb Williams, who was named as the Eagles’ Player of the Season in his respective age group.
Along the pathway, several young academy graduates also earned first team exposure and loan opportunities. Most notably, Caleb Kporha and Asher Agbinone both featured for the senior side when they made their Premier League debuts towards the end of 2024, the former in a 2-0 defeat to Fulham and the latter in a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, and otherwise received call-ups to Palace’s first team on multiple of occasions throughout the campaign. Agbinone also gained opportunities on loan at Gillingham in League One, alongside the likes of as Joe Whitworth, Owen Goodman, Tayo Adaramola and Jesurun Rak‑Sakyi who also gained valuable minutes on loan in the Football League.
Furthermore, international recognition fell to numerous academy products, including Mustapha (Sierra Leone Under-20s), Rak‑Sakyi (England Under-21s), and Kporha (England Under-19s), topping off an encouraging foundation for the Eagles, and they have already been in form this pre-season, kicking things off with a solid 3-1 win against National League winners Barnet prior to a notable 7-0 win over AFC Bournemouth and a 2-2 draw with Bromley.
The Manager
Darren Powell
Former defender Darren Powell has taken charge of Palace’s Under-21’s since March 2023, and is specifically responsible for the young Eagles under the guidance of Academy Manager Eddie McGoldrick.
A tough-tackling centre back during his playing days, Powell was known for his leadership and aerial prowess, beginning his career at Hampton & Richmond Borough where he quickly established himself in the side before moving to Brentford for a fee of £15,000. After making his debut in a 3–0 win over Mansfield Town, Powell went on to spend four years with the Bees, notably winning the club’s Player of the Year award at the end of the 1998/99 season and went on to appear 150 times for the club.
After departing Griffin Park, Powell played for several clubs including Crystal Palace, West Ham United, Southampton and Derby County, which preceded a brief return to Brentford in 2009. He played a handful of times for the Bees during his second spell, but proved to be short-lived and he later joined Milton Keynes Dons, amassing over 250 appearances in both the Football League and Premier League, before ending his playing career where it started, spending two years at Hampton & Richmond.
After hanging up his boots, Powell transitioned into coaching, briefly managing Hampton & Richmond before linking up with Crystal Palace’s academy setup. He was appointed as Head Coach of the Under-21s team in 2023, succeeding Paddy McCarthy, and has contributed to significant development within the young Eagles’ ranks, becoming known for his tactical acumen and player focus.
One to Watch
Jemiah Umolu
Young forward Jemiah Umolu has been on fire during pre-season so far, scoring five goals in three games for Palace so far, and will hope to continue that heading into the 2025/26 Premier League 2 season,
Umolu began his footballing journey at West Ham United, progressing through the youth ranks and contributing to the Under-18s’ FA Youth Cup victory in the 2022/23 season, with the early stages of his career allowing him to display a physical presence, good technical ability and goalscoring instincts.
However, after impressing on trial with Crystal Palace’s Under-21s, Umolu signed a permanent contract with the club in July 2024, making the move across London in an attempt to aid his development. He made an immediate impact at Selhurst Park, scoring and assisting in the Premier League International Cup semi-final against Everton, and ended his first full season as the Premier League 2 top scorer (13 goals in 16 appearances).
While his performance in the academy had earned him many plaudits, Umolu had the opportunity to gain crucial senior experience midway through the season, making a loan move to League Two side Port Vale in January 2025. He made nine substitute appearances during his stint at Vale Park and provided an assist in a 5–0 win over Bromley.
He has already continued where he left off since returning to Palace though, scoring five goals in the Academy’s three pre-season games, including a hat-trick in a 7-0 win over AFC Bournemouth.
Last Time We Met
Goals from Tobi Sho-Silva, Ali Smith and Ricky Korboa secured a comfortable win for Sutton in their EFL Trophy debut.
Fresh off promotion the previous season, League Two new boys Sutton entered the EFL Trophy as a result, and in a group consisting of Crystal Palace Academy, Portsmouth and AFC Wimbledon, kicked things off against the former.
Sho-Silva scored the U’s first ever goal in the competition, powering an effort into the top corner to send Sutton into the break ahead, and Matt Gray’s side saw their lead extended just seven minutes into the second half when Smith turned from provider to scorer, head an impressive Korboa cross past Joe Whitworth.
Korba then found himself on the scoresheet himself, striking into the bottom corner with nine minutes to go to make the win safe, and seal a perfect start to EFL Trophy action for Sutton.
Played for Both
Kieron Cadogan
Tooting-born winger Kieron Cadogan came though the ranks at Crystal Palace, and later went on to spend a successful two years across South London at Sutton.
After beginning his football journey in the academies of Arsenal and Fulham, Cadogan joined Crystal Palace’s youth system where he later signed professionally in 2008 after being a regular in the reserve side, with his skill and crossing ability making him a formidable opponent. He later enjoyed a memorable senior debut a year after agreeing professional terms when he scored against Coventry City just ten minutes after coming on, and went on to make 21 league appearances for Palace.
After loan spells at Burton Albion and Rotherham United, Cadogan left Palace in 2012 and joined Aldershot Town and then Barnet, before moving abroad in 2014 to play for GAIS in Sweden’s second tier, where he spent three seasons. He later returned to England when he joined Sutton, making his debut in a 0-0 draw with Barrow – a result which secured the club’s first away clean sheet in the non-League top flight since a 9–0 away victory against Gateshead in 1990, and later scored his first goal in a 2-1 defeat to Forest Green Rovers, a little over two weeks after joining.
He went on to score three goals in his first six appearances, being voted as the club’s Player of the Month for March, and ended the campaign with five goals in 14 appearances. He subsequently spent a single full season at the club in 2017/18, departing the club midway through the 2018/19 season with a total of 70 appearances to his name.
A switch to Billericay Town then followed for Cadogan, with a brief loan move to Woking then preceding a stint at Wealdstone, and was followed by spells at Corinthian Casuals, Kingstonian and Sevenoaks Town, before returning to Corinthians where he closed out a successful 16-year playing career last year.
Photo Credit: Crystal Palace Football Club
