Although a lot of negative media hype surrounded their qualification for the Egyptian Cup final, ENPPI are determined to win their second cup title by beating Harras Hodoud on Sunday. The Petroleum side claimed their first title in 2005 under the management of Taha Basri after defeating Alexandria-based side Ittihad. This year ENPPI, who finished as runners-up last season, reached the final after registering a controversial 3-1 victory over Petrojet in the semi-final. Doubts Doubts were cast on the eligibility of Anwar Salama's team to play the final, as they fielded their newcomer Zeka Goory in Petrojet clash, whereas the Ivorian was not entitled to play. Prior to signing for ENPPI, Goory left Petrojet all of a sudden halfway through the league's first term to join Emirate side Wasl, and he featured for all three sides. According to the regulations of world governing body FIFA, Players may be registered with a maximum of three clubs during one season, but they would be eligible to play official matches only for two sides during this period. Consequently, The Egyptian FA handed Goory a lengthy suspension until the end of the current season, but no sanctions were imposed on his club despite their flagrant breach of rules. Although the FA confirmed that ENPPI are the cup finalists, many people are still convinced that they don't deserve a berth in the final. Apart from losing Goory's services for a long time, Such notion could be morale-damaging ahead of Sunday's encounter. Gafaar Arrival
Hodoud Meanwhile, ENPPI are boosted by the arrival of Mostafa Gafaar from Zamalek, and he will most probably make his first appearance in the pivotal match. The 27-year-old failed to pull it off with the White Knights, as he was mainly a substitute over the past three years. For this reason, he's expected to give it his all with his new team in order to secure a regular spot, and leaving his mark on the cup final would be a huge step towards his objective should he made his debut on Sunday. Furthermore, Blackburn Rovers pulled the plug on Ahmed Al-Muhammadi deal days ahead of the final. The winger was so keen to start a new adventure abroad, therefore he could a bit downcast and might not be at his best during the game. Trio Amr Fahim, Islam Awad and Ayman Saied have been ruled out of the game with different injuries. Remarkable Victories Hodoud, on the other hand, registered remarkable victories in the competition, which suggest that their winning chances are quite substantial. They have eliminated Cairo giants Ahli in the round of 16 after beating them 1-0, thanks to Ahmed Abdul-Ghani's winner, before making their way to the final. Apart from Abdul-Ghani, the military side boast a good number of experienced players, including former Ahli defender Islam Al-Shater, midfielder Mohamed Al-Herda and hitman Ahmed Eid. Hodoud have never won the Egyptian Cup title, which could be an extra motive for them to clinch the trophy.
