Baihakki joins KL after rejecting Saudi offer
SINGAPOREAN defender Baihakki Khaizan is set for a return to Malaysian football as he is poised to sign with Super League side Kuala Lumpur.
Baihakki, 33, is expected to arrive in Kuala Lumpur today to put pen to paper with the newly-promoted city side after rejecting a four-month contract offer from Saudi Arabian second division Jeddah Club.
The prospect of playing a full season for KL is likely to have swayed Baihakki to choose Fabio Maciel’s team and fill their Asean import quota.
“We have finalised talks with Baihakki and he is expected to arrive tomorrow (Thursday) to sign with us,” said Kuala Lumpur FA general secretary Nokman Mustaffa yesterday.
Baihakki will become the first Singaporean to play for KL since George Lee, Fandi Ahmad, K. Kannan and Malek Awab turned out for the city team in the 1980s.
He will arrive just in time to link up with Maciel’s side who leave for Yogyakarta, Indonesia at the weekend to play three friendly matches.
The former Johor Darul Ta’zim and LionsXII player completes Maciel’s search for a centre-back and cast of five foreign players.
Baihakki played for S-League club Warriors last season and last turned out in the Super League for LionsXII in 2014 while on loan from JDT.
He returned to JDT but was then relegated to play for JDT II in the Premier League for two more seasons.
Maciel said Baihakki’s experience and familiarity with Malaysian football will be a significant advantage to KL.
“I know him, he used to play for JDT and he has a lot of experience of international football as well,” said Maciel, who led KL to the Premier League title last season. Devinder Singh