A youth soccer team from Kelowna was disqualified from the 2026 U17 Provincial Championship in Nanaimo over the weekend despite never losing a game.
The Okanagan FC and the Saanich Fusion U17 teams were both disqualified from the provincial championship following their actions in the final group game of the tournament, which saw both teams play the match against each other in a non-competitive manner.
Prior to meeting in round-robin play, both teams were undefeated and had already secured a spot in the gold medal game, giving their matchup no real consequence, or so they thought.
BC Soccer recorded the game as a 1-1 draw. Both teams received a one-game suspension “for bringing the game into disrepute” and were ultimately disqualified for lowering the standard of play.
Upon returning home, Okanagan FC has turned to social media to address the events that took place in Nanaimo, saying that, regrettably, the game fell short of the team’s standards of professional conduct.
“Okanagan FC unequivocally does not condone the behaviour of our team during the match. As an organization committed to upholding the values of sport, we view the team’s actions as unacceptable,” said the club statement.
“We wish to state clearly that Okanagan FC fully accepts the decision rendered by BC Soccer. Furthermore, we would like to extend our appreciation to BC Soccer and Nanaimo United for hosting a wonderful tournament that we are proud to be a part of.”
“While we understand the deep disappointment felt by our players and families who worked so hard to reach this stage, we must take responsibility for our actions and use this as a profound learning moment for our young athletes, who have otherwise represented the club in an outstanding way across a number of years.”
Following the top two teams’ disqualification from the tournament, it was ICSF Roma who walked away with the provincial title. beating the NVFC Fury 3-2.
Black Press Media reached out to Okanagan FC and BC Soccer for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.