Afful’s double assist lifts Columbus Crew to victory

Columbus Crew needed a double Harrison Afful assist to claim the maximum points at Philadelphia Union as they snatched a 2-1 victory at the PPL Park on Saturday night.

The former Esperance de Tunis man set up Sierra Leonean international Kei Kamara for his 17th and 18th goals of the season and go into the record books for Crew.

It was Afful’s second assist that won the game for Crew as it proved to be the match-winner after American-born Ghanaian Charles Sarpong halved the deficit for the host.

Afful was playing just his third league game for Crew and he was impressed on the right-back with his clean defensive tackles and impressive surging run and dangerous crosses.

He was in an exciting form as he set up the first goal from a tailor-made cross which was headed home by Kamara in the 21st minute before he cut an incisive low cross from just outside of the area which Kamara coolly connected home despite massive pressure from the hosts’ defence.

The former West Football African Academy graduate excelled for Ghana at the 2017 AFCON qualifier against Rwanda last weekend and has gilded his performance with another sterling show in the Major League.