RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Halifax Wanderers vs. Inter Toronto | Sept. 20, 2026

For the first time all year, the Halifax Wanderers have won back-to-back games in the Canadian Premier League, as they defeated Inter Toronto 4-1 at Wanderers Grounds on Sunday. 

After beating FC Supra du Québec a week prior, this is a huge result for the Wanderers, who now sit five points behind fourth-place Vancouver FC with five games to go. 

There's still a big mountain to climb for the Wanderers to get into a playoff spot, but with Vancouver's form slipping, the Wanderers will hope they can further narrow the gap before they travel to take on Vancouver in the penultimate game of their regular season campaign, in what could be a game that decides both teams' respective playoff fates. 

As for Toronto, this was a huge loss, given that they could've also narrowed the gap between them and Vancouver to five points - but unlike the Wanderers, who have played the same number of games as Vancouver, Toronto has two games in hand on Vancouver right now.

Those games in hand are still relevant, especially with Toronto set to play Vancouver in midweek, but this was a missed opportunity for Toronto to have put pressure on Vancouver - instead, they now sit eight points back of Vancouver after their draw against Pacific on Saturday. 

Jason Bahamboula nearly had the Wanderers ahead in this match after just two minutes, as he slalomed into the box and fired a dangerous low shot towards goal, but his attempt was nicely saved by Toronto's goalkeeper, Kai Campos. 

That save proved to be huge for Toronto, who found a lead just moments later. It came from Raúl López, who was the only new face in Toronto's starting lineup after their 3-1 win over Vancouver FC last week, and he showed why he was trusted to earn the start.

After receiving the ball out wide, he cut inside on his left foot and had a shot from distance, curling one into the top corner with a beautiful strike to make it 1-0. 

Yet, that lead wouldn't last long. Toronto had a chance to double it shortly after the goal, as Tomasz Skublak danced his way into the box and fired a dangerous left-footed shot towards goal, but his attempt would be blocked by a defender. 

Thanks to that, the Wanderers were able to knot things up in the ninth minute, and it came off a nice bit of attacking play. It started with Bahamboula, who found Lorenzo Callegari with a nice pass into the box, and Callegari did the rest from there, firing a perfect low cross across the six-yard box to find a wide-open Johnston, who slotted home into an empty net for his 10th goal of the season. 

Continuing a lively start to the season, the Wanderers almost scored again in the 18th minute, as Kareem Sow found Bahamboula with a low cross into the box, but Bahamboula's first-time shot was denied by an aggressive stop from Campos.

Soon after, though, the Wanderers would get another chance at a second goal, and they wouldn't make any mistake. It'd come in the 24th minute, as Miguel Arilla found Ryan Telfer with a nice through ball, and once again, Telfer whipped a low cross across goal, finding a wide-open Lorenzo Callegari at the back post for an easy goal.

Things would go from bad to worse for Toronto in the 32nd minute, as after an FVS review, Carlos Guzmán was determined to have caught Johnston with a late tackle in the box, earning the Wanderers a penalty. 

As expected, Johnston would step up to take the spot kick, and he'd make no mistake, slotting the ball into the bottom left corner for his 11th goal - putting him in a tie for first place with Loïc Kwemi in the CPL's Golden Boot race in the process. 

From there, the game would reach half-time without further events, as both teams traded half-chances but failed to muster up any big chances of consequence.

That continued after half-time, as the Wanderers looked to protect their lead and slow the game down to their pace. 

Finally, Toronto were able to find a dangerous chance in the 68th minute, as Béni Badibanga, who had come onto the pitch at half-time, found space for a powerful shot, one that Halifax's Marco Carducci did well to get across to and palm away for a big save. 

Soon after, however, the Wanderers would further extend their lead, as they put the game out of reach with their fourth goal, denying Toronto a comeback bid. 

It'd come from a bit of individual brilliance, too, as Nelson Pierre won the ball back and drove into the box, and he'd do well to find Bahamboula with a nice low cross, one that Bahamboula would slot home from close range.

Toronto almost made things interesting in the minute, as Badibanga fired a shot from distance that bounced out of the hands of Carducci and into the path of Juan Córdova, but the Toronto substitute slashed his shot wide of goal despite having a large portion of the net to aim at on the rebound. Then, Oswaldo Léon had a dangerous header in the 90th minute, but Carducci did well to get down and avenge his earlier error with a nice save. 

Desperate to make the score more respectable, Léon had another dangerous chance in the final minute of four minutes of stoppage time, as he got his head to another good cross, but once again, Carducci denied him with a big save to keep the score at 4-1. 

In the end, that's how this game would finish, as the Wanderers didn't just pick up three crucial points in their quest to make the playoffs, but made a statement about what they can be capable of - just what they needed ahead of a run of four consecutive games against the four teams currently in a playoff spot, starting with Atlético Ottawa next week.

Box Score

Starting XIs

Halifax Wanderers: Carducci; Alphonse, Meilleur-Giguère, Linder, Sow (Mackenzie 80'); Callegari, Olguin (Rampersad 88'); Arilla (Pierre 66'), Johnston (Troisi 88'), Telfer; Bahamboula (Zitman 80')

Inter Toronto FC: Campos; Singh (Córdova 81'), Guzmán, Léon; López (Badibanga 46'), Bassett, Yeates, Kibato; Almagro (Ferrari 71'), Accettola (Gonzales 71'); Skublak

Goals

*3' - Raúl López (Inter Toronto FC)*

9' - Isaiah Johnston (Halifax Wanderers)

24' - Lorenzo Callegari (Halifax Wanderers)

34' - Isaiah Johnston (Halifax Wanderers) (Pen.)

73' - Jason Bahamboula (Halifax Wanderers)

Discipline

*22' - Yellow: Raúl López (Inter Toronto FC)*

49' - Yellow: Kembo Kibato (Inter Toronto FC)

65' - Yellow: Kareem Sow (Halifax Wanderers)

72' - Yellow: Luke Singh (Inter Toronto FC)

76' - Yellow: Jefferson Alphonse (Halifax Wanderers)

79' - Yellow: Lorenzo Callegari (Halifax Wanderers)

84' - Yellow: Oswaldo Léon (Inter Toronto FC)