Forge FC Advances to Canadian Premier League Championship Game with 1-0 Win over Atletico Ottawa

Malik Owolabi-Belewu’s goal in the 53rd minute secured a spot in the Canadian Premier League championship game for Forge FC, as they defeated Atletico Ottawa 1-0 in the semifinal on Saturday.

As the top-seeded team, Forge FC will now face off against second-seeded Cavalry FC in the final next Saturday, with the match set to be live streamed on CBCSports.ca.

Cavalry FC secured their spot in the championship game with a 1-0 victory over Forge FC in the qualifying semifinal last Sunday. The final will take place at ATCO Field in Calgary.

With their win, Forge FC also helped Cavalry FC earn an automatic berth in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup. Forge FC had already qualified for the tournament by finishing with the best regular-season record, edging out Cavalry FC by two points.

Owolabi-Belewu’s decisive goal came in the form of a header off a corner kick, giving Forge FC the lead at Tim Hortons Field.

Forge FC, based in Hamilton, is now aiming for their fifth CPL title, and third consecutive championship, in their sixth playoff appearance. They previously won the title in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023, and were the runners-up in 2021.