Atlético Ottawa beat Forge FC 3-2 at Hamilton Stadium on Saturday, November 7, 2026, to reach the CPL Final 5-4 on aggregate. Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau scored all three Ottawa goals, the first hat trick in Canadian Premier League playoff history, including the winner two minutes after Forge had levelled the tie deep in stoppage time.
FINAL: Forge FC 2, Atlético Ottawa 3
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The First Hat Trick In CPL Playoff History
Fleuriau Chateau opened the scoring on 25 minutes with a left-footed finish after a give-and-go between Kamron Habibullah and Ballou Tabla, putting Ottawa ahead on the night and 3-2 up on aggregate after the 2-2 first leg in Ottawa. Forge, playing at home, pressed through set pieces and levelled in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time: Marko Jevremović delivered Forge’s seventh corner of the half, Aghilas Sadek flicked a header across goal, and Hoce Massunda applied the final touch to make it 1-1.
The second half tightened around one man. Forge forward Brian Wright, back from injury, missed a chance on 61 minutes, and on 68 minutes a Fleuriau Chateau attempt was cleared off the goal line by Maxime Bourgeois, a call confirmed after an FVS review. Seven minutes later Ottawa midfielder Kevin dos Santos struck the crossbar, and Forge goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat was called on to stop another late Ottawa opening. The breakthrough came on 84 minutes, when Fleuriau Chateau met a floated ball from Roni Mbomio with a flying header for 2-1. The goal was reviewed for a possible foul by the scorer and stood. As the Canadian Premier League’s official match report records, the hat trick Fleuriau Chateau completed later in the night is the first in CPL playoff history, and he was named Player of the Match.
Two Stoppage-Time Goals Decide The Tie
Forge were not done. Deep into stoppage time, Fleuriau Chateau, the game’s hero, caught a Forge player with a late challenge inside his own box, and after another FVS check the penalty was given. Dan Nimick converted it at 90+11 minutes to make it 2-2 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate, a goal that briefly had the home crowd believing the tie was turning. Ottawa goalkeeper Nathan Ingham had already made two late stops to keep his side in front, as the Canadian Press match report carried by CBC Sports detailed, and the tie needed one more moment.
It arrived at 90+13 minutes. Forge defender Manjrekar James could not clear his lines, Fleuriau Chateau pounced on the loose ball and beat Dimitry Bertaud through his legs from a tight angle to complete his hat trick and settle the semifinal, 3-2 on the night and 5-4 over the two legs. The forward who had given away the penalty that levelled the tie had won it back inside two minutes.
Back To Back Finals For The Champions
The win sends the defending North Star Cup champions into the CPL Final for a second consecutive year. Atlético Ottawa confirmed the berth on the club’s official Instagram account, posting its final graphic with the message “Ours To Defend” and noting that the club has made history by reaching a second straight final: the club’s announcement on Instagram. For Forge, the Ontario rivalry ends at home, eliminated by the side that took the trophy last season, after a semifinal that swung on a hat trick, two video reviews and two goals in three stoppage-time minutes.
The CPL Final Is Set For November 21
The CPL has confirmed the 2026 CPL Final will be played on Saturday, November 21, and it will be hosted by the higher seed of the two finalists. Ottawa’s opponent comes from the second semifinal between Cavalry FC and FC Supra du Québec: FC Supra du Québec won the first leg 2-1 on November 1, with the second leg played Saturday evening at ATCO Field in Calgary. Whoever comes through, Ottawa will play for back-to-back North Star Cups, a repeat built on the most dramatic individual performance the CPL playoffs have produced: three goals, a conceded penalty, and a winner at 90+13.
