Mbwana Samatta


Mbwana Ally Samatta is a Tanzanian professional footballer who plays as a striker for English club Aston Villa and the Tanzania national team.
Samatta began his career as a youth player for Tanzanian club African Lyon in 2008. He turned professional in 2010 with Simba Sports Club, where he played for only half of the season before moving to TP Mazembe, spending a total of five years with them, initially becoming a first-team regular. He was named the 2015 African based Player of the Year and finished the season as the top goalscorer of the CAF Champions League, as he helped TP Mazembe to win the title.
In January 2016, Samatta signed for Belgian side K.R.C. Genk, helping them to qualify for the UEFA Europa League and win the Belgian Jupiler League in 2019. Having finished the season as the top goalscorer of the Jupiler League, he also won the Ebony Shoe award in Belgium for his outstanding season with Genk.
In January 2020, he moved to Aston Villa, becoming the first Tanzania-born player to play and score in the Premier League.

Club career

Samatta was a key figure during TP Mazembe's run to the final of the 2015 CAF Champions League, scoring seven goals in the process and finishing as the competition's top scorer. In their group stage match against Moghreb Tétouan, Samatta scored a memorable hat-trick to secure a place in the semi-finals where they were drawn against Sudanese side Al-Merrikh SC. Mazembe would go on to lift the cup after defeating Algerian side USM Alger in the final 4–1 on aggregate, with Samatta scoring a goal in both legs.
At the Glo-CAF Awards on 7 January 2016 at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Nigeria, he became the first player from East Africa to be crowned the CAF African Player of the Year. Mbwana garnered a total of 127 points, ahead of his TP Mazembe teammate and DR Congo goalkeeper Robert Kidiaba, who amassed 88 points, and Algerian Baghdad Bounedjah trailed in third place with 63 points.

Genk

In January 2016, after winning the prize for best African player on the continent, he signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with KRC Genk. He was voted the 2017 Most Influential Young Tanzanian in a ranking poll by Avance Media
On 23 August 2018, Samatta scored a hat-trick against Brøndby IF in the Europa League for a 5–2 win.
During the 2018–19 season, he led the Belgian First Division A in scoring with 20 goals, as Genk finished the season as league winners. In May 2019 he was awarded with the Ebony Shoe award for his exploits during the campaign.

Aston Villa

On 20 January 2020, Samatta signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Premier League club Aston Villa. In doing so, he became the first Tanzanian to sign for a Premier League club, and is the 117th different nationality to play in the competition. The transfer fee paid to Genk was reported as £8.5 million. Samatta made his debut for the club 8 days later in Villa's 2–1 EFL Cup semi-final second-leg win over Leicester City, a result which sealed the club's place in the final of the competition.
On 1 February 2020, Samatta scored on his league debut for Aston Villa, in a 2–1 defeat to Bournemouth. This made him the first player from Tanzania to play, and subsequently score in the Premier League.

Personal life

Samatta is a Muslim. He made the umrah to Mecca in 2018 with his Genk teammate Omar Colley.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals

GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.26 March 2011National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania2–12–12012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
2.3 September 2011National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania1–01–12012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
3.11 January 2013Addis Ababa Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia1–11–2Friendly
4.6 February 2013National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania1–01–0Friendly
5.24 March 2013National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania2–03–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.24 March 2013National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania3–03–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
7.4 December 2013Afraha Stadium, Nakuru, Kenya1–01–02013 CECAFA Cup
8.12 December 2013Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, Kenya1–11–12013 CECAFA Cup
9.3 August 2014Estádio do Zimpeto, Maputo, Mozambique1–11–22015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
10.7 October 2015National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania1–02–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
11.14 November 2015National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania2–02–22018 FIFA World Cup qualification
12.23 March 2016Stade Omnisports Idriss Mahamat Ouya, N'Djamena, Chad1–01–02017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
13.25 March 2017National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania1–02–0Friendly
14.25 March 2017National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania2–02–0Friendly
15.10 June 2017National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania1–01–12019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
16.27 March 2018National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania1–02–0Friendly
17.16 October 2018National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania2–02–02019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
18.27 June 201930 June Stadium, Cairo, Egypt2–12–32019 Africa Cup of Nations
19.8 September 2019National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania1–01–1 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
20.19 November 2019Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet, Monastir, Tunisia1–01–22021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours

TP Mazembe
Genk
Aston Villa
Individual