A second half Molham Babouli header and some world class goalkeeping from Jassem Koleilat helped Forge FC defeat defending champions Cavalry FC 1-0 in their Canadian Premier League (CPL) opener at the Tim Hortons field in Hamilton Saturday.
“It feels good. It feels good to be back and get those three points in the first game. Hopefully, we can keep it going,” said Babouli in a post-match interview. “It’s more exciting when you’re winning more games and that’s the culture that we want to bring back [to the club].”
Loading ...The win helps the Hammers maintain their unbeaten streak against the Cavs on opening days of the season. Saturday’s match was the third straight meeting between the two teams on the opening day of a CPL season.
Forge FC – Cavalry FC rivalry resumes with a gripping first half
Forge dominated most of the possession in the opening minutes of the match that saw some intense end-to-end action. The four-time champions got their first chance to score in the 13th minute when left back Marko Jevremovic found teammate David Choinière on the right flank.
The Canadian forward found some space in the box and took a shot at goal, only for Cavalry captain Marco Carducci to make a tremendous save and keep the score tied at 0-0.
The Cavs bounced back almost immediately with reigning CPL golden boot winner – Tobias Warschewski – wreaking havoc on Forge with some great footwork. The German, fresh off a new contract extension, beat two defenders to take a shot at goal that was blocked.
Forge FC (orange) beat Cavalry 1-0 in Canadian Premier League action at Hamilton Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario Saturday, April 5, 2025. Photo: Indi Kumala/Total Soccer News
But arguably the best chance for the Calgary-based club in the first half came in the 26th minute when right back Fraser Aird’s superb ball into the box found Warschewski unmarked.
The towering striker connected with a great header on the back post only for the Forge keeper Koleilat to make a monstrous left hand fingertip save and deny the Cavalry charge.
Forge looked a bit out of rhythm for the next few minutes but continued to make some great runs and inspiring plays, including one from striker Brian Wright just before half time when he wrong-footed Cavalry defender Tom Field and chipped the ball to find the side netting.
Forge FC breaks the deadlock, get reduced to 10-men
The breakthrough for Forge FC finally came in the 58th minute when the returning Mo Babouli hit a thunderous header to beat Carducci on the far post and give his team the lead.
The Syrian forward – playing in his second stint with the Ontario-based club – gave the home fans a reason to beat those drums in the stands by capitalising on a pristine cross from Jevremovic who had been troubling the Cavs on the left flank throughout the match.
Cavalry strived to stage a comeback with Warschewski, Sergio Camargo, and second-half substitute Nicolas Wähling making regular attempts on goal. But every Cavs attack was met with stiff resistance from the Forge defenders.
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The Hammers suffered a big blow and were pegged back drastically in the 72nd minute when right back Zayne Bruno was sent off for receiving a second yellow card for barging irresponsibly into Camargo during an aerial challenge.
The 18-year-old debutant’s ejection from the match gave Cavalry an advantage and they tried to make the best of it by mounting an aggressive charge to find that elusive equaliser.
World class Koleilat keeps Cavalry FC at bay
Warschewski, who had scored eight times for Cavalry in the last seven matches across all competitions, was denied yet again in the 77th minute when he took a shot from just outside the box only for the keeper Koleilat to make a heroic save and tip the ball over the bar.
With Forge on the back foot, Koleilat was called into action again a few minutes later when he first parried away a fiery cross from rookie Cavalry left back Mihail Gherasimencov before making another marvellous save to deny Camargo’s header finding the back of the net.
The action did not stop there. The Cavs threw the kitchen sink at Forge deep in stoppage time, with Gherasimencov hitting a left-foot screamer that struck the post in the 93rd minute.
The rebound resulted in a desperate scramble in the Forge penalty box where the Cavalry FC players took a flurry of shots at the Forge net but unluckily failed to score with every one.
“Everybody had a great performance. Jass [Koleilat], the defence put in a shift. Sometimes we’re going to have to do that whether we’re winning or we’re losing,” said Babouli.
The Hammers held on for a defiant win and will now travel to BC next weekend to face table-toppers Pacific FC, who beat Valour 2-0 in the last match of the day. Cavalry FC, on the other hand, will return home to face Vancouver FC at the ATCO Field on Friday, April 18.
