If Ismaili's claims are found to be true Enyimba's celebrations will be over

Ismail Osman, the president of Ismaili, is confident that his side will emerge as the eventual winners on a technicality.

Ismaili lost December's final 2-1 on aggregate against Enyimba of Nigeria, but the Egyptians claim their opponents fielded an ineligible player in one of the two legs.

Ismaili have protested to the Confederation of African Football (Caf) over the eligibility of Ahmed 'Yaro Yaro' Garba, claiming that the midfielder was also registered with another Nigerian club, Kano Pillars.

"If things go as we expect and the law and the regulations are respected, I am sure that we are going to get the Cup," Osman told BBC Sport.

"But we are very hurt that these things can happen. We would like to have transparency, fair play and respect for all the regulations."

We have been very careful to submit to Caf documents that are authentic Ismaili president, Ismail Osman

The Ismaili president says he has an official document stamped by the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) which supports his claims, yet NFA secretary-general Taiwo Ogunjobi dismissed the paperwork as 'fake' earlier this week.

Osman insists there is nothing wrong with the document, and also shed some light on how Ismaili learnt that Enyimba may have fielded an ineligible player.

"The information came by chance from some people in Nigeria that we know," the Ismaili boss explained.

"We took one and a half months to collect the information after we learnt the news.

"We have been very careful to submit to Caf documents that are authentic.

Caf will meet in April to discuss the ongoing row

"We went through them very closely and with patience.

"We worked hard to get this information once we received the news, and we sent it to Caf one month ago."

Osman added that the Egyptian club also has video evidence which it claims backs up its protest.

Ismaili claim that Yaro Yaro featured in at least 15 matches for Kano Pillars in the Nigerian league, while also playing for Enyimba in the Champions League during the same period.

Should Enyimba be found guilty of fielding an ineligible player in Africa's elite club tournament, the Nigerian side will not only lose the trophy but also face a lengthy ban from continental competition.

Article 23 of Caf's regulations states that if 'fraud' has been committed during the final, then 'the guilty team shall be suspended for three years from all Caf competitions.'

The NFA has received a letter from Caf demanding an explanation over Yaro Yaro's eligibility for the second leg of the final, and the Nigerian federation has now replied to that letter.

The Inter-Clubs sub-committee of Caf are now due to meet in early April to discuss the matter.

Enyimba are the first Nigerian side to lift the African Champions Cup trophy since its inception in 1964.