The September FIFA window claimed four Columbus Crew SC stalwarts via call-ups to their respective international teams. Midfielders Justin Meram (Iraq), Tony Tchani (Cameroon) and Rodrigo Saravia (Guatemala), and defender Harrison Afful (Ghana) each appeared in fixtures — international friendlies and CONCACAF and Asian Football Confederation World Cup qualifiers — on Tuesday across the world.
Rodrigo Saravia: Guatemala 9 - Saint Vincent & The Grenadines 3
In the Group C finale of CONCACAF's Fourth Round of World Cup qualifying, Guatemala needed several scenarios to materialize before moving into the Fifth Round of qualifying. Unfortunately, neither the goal differential nor other results in the group helped, ending Guatemala's qualification campaign on Tuesday night.
Saravia started the match and played the full 90 in midfield at Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City.
Justin Meram: Saudi Arabia 2 - Iraq 1
Playing in Malaysia at Shah Alam Stadium in the third round of Group B action in Asian Football Confederation World Cup qualifying, Meram started and played 81 minutes in Iraq's loss.
Meram recorded a shot in the match. His glancing header in the 41st minute flew just wide of the target.
With a 1-0 lead into the 80th minute, Saudi Arabia came from behind with a pair of penalty kick conversions in the final 10 minutes.
Tony Tchani: Cameroon 2 - Gabon 1
In an international friendly, Tchani started and played 52 minutes. All three goals came after the 65th minute with Cameroon breaking the deadlock before Gabon equalized in the 75th.
A Cameroon goal and winner in the 90th minute sealed the country's victory over Gabon.
Harrison Afful: Russia 1 - Ghana 0
The Black Stars of Ghana visited the hosts of the 2018 FIFA World Cup for an international friendly. Afful started and played the full 90 at Lokomotiv Stadium in Moscow.
The difference was a 20th minute strike by Russia's Fedor Smolov, despite Afful's zipping crosses into the box throughout the match. He fired a shot in the 40th minute, but it pushed just wide-left.
