Surprise package Gaish and ambitious Petrojet will have a chance to further narrow the gap with Egyptian Premier League leaders Ahli when they face Ghazl Mahalla and ENPPI respectively on Friday. Ahli's two successive draws against Ittihad and arch-rivals Zamalek gave Gaish and Petrojet some hope that they could one day find themselves at the top, but only if they speed up their push for a surprising overhaul. With the Red Devils not in action until Saturday when they visit fierce rivals Ismaili, Gaish and Petrojet could move within two points of them. Farouk Gaafar's in-form Gaish side, who boast the most potent strike force in the league, will eye a fourth consecutive win when they face the inconsistent Mahalla away from home. "We will are seeking to hold onto our second-place position in the league and move closer to Ahli," coach Gaafar told FilGoal.com. Gaish will miss influential winger Mohsen Hendawi due to suspension but welcome back midfielder Amer Sabri, who served an automatic one-game suspension.
Petrojet to miss Bekoe Mahalla, who lie 10th in the 16-team table, will be looking to make up for a disappointing 1-1 draw with Military Production, who scored in the dying seconds to deny them a much-needed win. Petrojet will miss the league's top scorer Eric Bekoe when they host ENPPI. The Ghanaian striker, who notched eight goals so far, is out with injury but Petrojet coach Mokhtar Mokhtar remains optimistic, taking heart from his side's convincing 3-1 victory over Mansoura last Monday. "I have no worries now; our display against Mansoura was brilliant. We don't want to waste any points from now on," he said. Resurgent Ittihad will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to seven games when they host bottom side Asyut Petroleum while Gouna will be desperate to claim a surprising win over sixth-placed Harras Hodoud to move out of the relegation zone. Mansoura, who lie second from bottom, are another side who will be keen to allay relegation fears with a win over Arab Contractors.
