Ahmad Latiff Khamaruddin

Football player infobox


playername = Ahmad Latiff Khamaruddin
fullname = Ahmad Latiff Khamaruddin
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1979|05|29
cityofbirth =
countryofbirth = Singapore
height =
years = 1997-1999
2000-2001
2001/2002
2002-2003
2004-2005
2006
2006/2007
2007
2007/2008
2008-present
clubs = Geylang United FC
Persikabo Bogor
Happy Valley
Singapore Armed Forces FC
Woodlands Wellington FC
Tampines Rovers FC(loan)
Johor FA
Woodlands Wellington FC
PDRM FA
Singapore Armed Forces FC
currentclub = Singapore Armed Forces FC
clubnumber = 6
position = Striker, midfield
youthyears =
youthclubs =
caps(goals) =17 (5)
4 (1)
1 (0)
29 (12)
13 (5)
7 (0)
16 (9)
22 (6)
18 (12)
3 (0)
nationalyears = 1997-present
nationalteam = flagicon|Singapore Singapore
nationalcaps(goals) =51 (14)
pcupdate = March 27, 2007
ntupdate =

Ahmad Latiff Khamaruddin (born 29 May 1979) is a Singaporean footballer who currently plays for Singapore Armed Forces FC in the S.League.

Career

Once touted as a successor to golden boy Fandi Ahmad, he can play as an attacking midfielder or striker with talented playmaking skills. However, due to his consistent bad disciplinary track record for the national team and the club sides, he is deemed as 'bad boy' for Singapore football.

He started his career at Singapore Police FC (now Home United FC) in 1996, before moving to Geylang United FC the following year. In 1998, his sparkling performances led Singapore to win the Tiger Cup, the nation's first international trophy, despite getting sent off in the final win against Vietnam. His flamboyant performances caught the eyes of many top football coaches in Asia, who were confident that he would be the next big thing in Asian football. However, his disciplinary problems had got the better of him and he has failed to live up to the high expectations set for him.

In 1999, he moved to SAFFC where he helped the club win the S-League title in the following season. In 2001, he made his first career move abroad to Indonesia before coming back to SAFFC in 2002, where he played as a playmaker instead of being a striker in which he led the team to a runaway S-League title win.

In 2004, he once again moved to Woodlands Wellington FC but his form dipped considerably from his days in SAFFC. Eventually in 2006, he made his move abroad once again to Johor FA, the Malaysian state playing in the Malaysian Premier League, where he played well for the side alongside with fellow national skipper Aide Iskandar. After the Malaysian football season ended, he made a loan move with Aide Iskandar to Tampines Rovers FC for the rest of S-League season. Prior to the start of the 2007 S-League season, Latiff returned to his former club, Woodlands Wellington FC. He was appointed as club captain by manager Jorg Steinbrunner, and led Woodlands Wellington FC to their first piece of silverware in their history, which is the Singtel League Cup, a preseason tournament.

For his international career, he had been in the Singapore national football team inconsistently after the 1998 Tiger Cup win due to his poor disciplinary track record. He was recalled to the national team in 2006 after his good performances for Johor FA but he may face the axe once again after committing some disciplinary offences during the Singapore's away trip to United Arab Emirates for the Asian Cup qualifying match against Iraq. Latiff has been given nicknames such as "the bad boy of Singapore football," obviously for his disciplinary problems on and off the pitch, and also "the blond bombshell," in reference to his bleached blond hair.

On 2 July 2008, Ahmad Latiff made his debut for Singapore Armed Forces FC in the S.League. It will be his third spell at the club after previously playing for the Warriors in 1999 and 2002.