Irfan Bachdim signs for Chonburi
Indonesia international Irfan Bachdim has signed for Chonburi, the Thai Premier League outfit announced on Saturday.
By ESPNSTAR.com staff
Irfan, who was previously at Indonesian giants Persema Malang, is said to have put pen to paper to a one-year deal and will be the Sharks' seventh and final import for the 2013 season.
He joins Brazilian duo Anderson and Thiago Cunha, Ivorian defender Fode Bangaly Diakite, Nigerian striker Samuel Ajayi, Montenegrin forward Ivan Boskovic and Japanese midfielder Kazuto Kushida as part of the foreign brigade at the Chonburi Stadium.
Furthermore, his arrival means Sharks coach Withaya Laohakul will have an embarassment of riches in attack in the coming campaign, bolstering an already-impressive strike force including captain Pipob On-mo, Boskovic and Ajayi, who was Bangkok Glass' top scorer in the league last year with 11 goals.
Chonburi have regularly challenged for top honours in Thailand in recent years and finished runners-up in the league in the past two seasons, but the last time they were crowned champions came in 2007.
24-year-old Irfan, who was born in Netherlands but qualified to play for Indonesia through his father, earned his first cap for Merah Putih in 2010, and has been a regular in the side since.