HAMILTON — Mo Babouli scored twice as Forge FC defeated Halifax Wanderers 3-1in Telus Canadian Championship preliminary-round play Wednesday.
Forge also profited from a Halifax own goal. Thomas Meilleur-Giguère scored for Halifax.
Forge moves on to face CF Montreal in the two-legged quarterfinals in a familiar matchup.
"This is a competition that we don't take lightly in any way as a club. But it brings a lot of challenges," said Forge coach Bobby Smyniotis. "Today Halifax was a very good challenge. And now it's a two-legged affair against Montreal and that will be as big a challenge as we'll get this year."
Forge lost to Montreal in cup semifinals in 2021 and 2023. Montreal blanked Forge 3-0 in the 2022 quarterfinal while Forge beat Montreal 3-2 on aggregate in the 2024 quarterfinal.
Facing Montreal is "always a good matchup," Smyniotis said.
"Obviously we had some success last year, but each and every year is a lot different," he said. "Our team is different than the past. Their team is different from the past. I know when that time comes, we'll be prepared for what's in front of us."
In the final preliminary-round game Wednesday, Valour FC defeated League1 B.C. champion TSS Rovers 1-0.
CF Montreal, Atletico Ottawa, Cavalry FC, York United and Vancouver FC have already won their preliminary-round games. The three-time defending champion Vancouver Whitecaps received a bye.
In other quarterfinals already set, it's Vancouver FC versus Cavalry FC, Atletico Ottawa versus York United and CF Montreal versus TSS Rovers or Valour FC.
Halifax and Forge played to a scoreless draw in Halifax in league play Saturday.
Halifax (3-0-2) currently sits second in the Canadian Premier League standings, two points above third-place Forge (2-0-3).
Forge had the better of the early action Wednesday and Choiniere missed a glorious chance in the 16th minute when, unmarked, he sent a shot just wide from close range.
The home side went ahead in the 22nd minute when captain Kyle Bekker, after a give and go with Tristan Borges, found Babouli in a crowded penalty box and the former Toronto FC man hammered a close-range shot past Halifax 'keeper Yuba-Rayane Yesli.
Forge added another four minutes late via a Kareem Sow own goal when the Halifax defender's attempted headed clearance of a Choiniere cross into the penalty box looped into the goal past a diving Yesli.
Halifax finally began to find its footing late in the half and came on strong.
An unmarked Meilleur-Giguère cut the lead in the 41st minute with a headed goal off a Giorgio Probo corner that had Forge goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat rooted to the spot. The set piece was triggered by a hard shot from Adam Pearlman that Koleilat pushed out of touch.
A minute later, Koleilat made an acrobatic save to push a long-range rocket from Sean Rea over the crossbar.
Yesli made a fine save in the 79th minute to stop a Bekker free kick.
Babouli added an insurance goal in the 91st minute, knocking home a Opoku Ampomah cross that just eluded a Halifax defender.
While Halifax finished with 57 per cent possession, it was outshot 10-7 (4-3 in shots on target).
Forge made the cup final in the pandemic-delayed 2020 edition, losing to Toronto FC in a tournament reduced to a championship game.
Halifax has never made it past the quarterfinals and was upset in the first round last year by Ligue1 Quebec's CS St-Laurent in a penalty shootout.
Halifax, meanwhile, has never won in Hamilton in any competition
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2025
The Canadian Press
