Mbwana Ally Samatta (born 23 December 1992) is a Tanzanian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Belgian Pro League club Genk on loan from Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe, and the Tanzania national team.
![]() Samatta lining up for Tanzania in 2018 | |||
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Mbwana Ally Samatta[1] | ||
Date of birth | (1992-12-23) 23 December 1992 (age 29)[2] | ||
Place of birth | Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania | ||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Club information | |||
Current team |
Genk (on loan from Fenerbahçe) | ||
Number | 7 | ||
Youth career | |||
2008–2010 | African Lyon | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2010–2011 | Simba SC | 25 | (13) |
2011–2016 | TP Mazembe | 103 | (60) |
2016–2020 | Genk | 101 | (43) |
2020–2021 | Aston Villa | 14 | (1) |
2020–2021 | → Fenerbahçe (loan) | 27 | (5) |
2021– | Fenerbahçe | 3 | (0) |
2021–2022 | → Antwerp (loan) | 27 | (5) |
2022– | → Genk (loan) | 4 | (1) |
National team‡ | |||
2011– | Tanzania | 68 | (22) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:26, 11 September 2022 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:15, 10 September 2022 (UTC) |
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.
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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6][7]
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.[8] 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.[8]
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.[9] He was voted the 2017 Most Influential Young Tanzanian in a ranking poll by Avance Media[10][11]
On 23 August 2018, Samatta scored a hat-trick against Brøndby IF in the Europa League for a 5–2 win.[12]
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.[13]
On 20 January 2020, Samatta signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Premier League club Aston Villa.[14] 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.[15] The transfer fee paid to Genk was reported as £8.5 million.[16][17] 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.[18]
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.[19]
On 25 September 2020, Samatta joined Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe S.K. on an initial loan deal until the end of the season.[20] As part of the deal, Samatta signed a four-year contract at the end of his loan spell in July 2021.[21]
On 1 September 2021, Samatta joined Belgian side Royal Antwerp on a season-long loan.[22]
On 16 August 2022, Samatta returned to Genk on loan, with an option to buy.[23]
Samatta is a Muslim. He made the umrah to Mecca in 2018 with his Genk teammate Omar Colley.[24]
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
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Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Simba | 2010–11[25][26] | Tanzanian Premier League | 25 | 13 | — | [lower-alpha 1] | 2 | — | 25 | 15 | ||||
TP Mazembe | 2011[25][26] | Linafoot | 8 | 2 | — | — | 8 | 2 | ||||||
2012[25][26] | Linafoot | 29 | 23 | — | 8 | 6 | — | 37 | 29 | |||||
2013[25][26] | Linafoot | 37 | 20 | — | 5[lower-alpha 1] | 5 | — | 42 | 25 | |||||
2013–14[25][26] | Linafoot | 29 | 15 | — | 8 | 4 | — | 37 | 19 | |||||
2014–15[26] | Linafoot | — | 6 | 4 | — | 6 | 4 | |||||||
2015–16[26] | Linafoot | — | 6 | 4 | — | 6 | 4 | |||||||
Total | 103 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 136 | 83 | ||||
Genk | 2015–16[27] | Belgian Pro League | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 12[lower-alpha 2] | 3 | 18 | 5 | ||
2016–17[27] | Belgian First Division A | 27 | 10 | 4 | 2 | — | 18[lower-alpha 3] | 5 | 10[lower-alpha 2] | 3 | 59 | 20 | ||
2017–18[27] | Belgian First Division A | 20 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 11[lower-alpha 2] | 4 | 35 | 8 | |||
2018–19[27] | Belgian First Division A | 28 | 20 | 1 | 0 | — | 12[lower-alpha 3] | 9 | 10[lower-alpha 2] | 3 | 51 | 32 | ||
2019–20[27] | Belgian First Division A | 20 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 6[lower-alpha 4] | 3 | 1[lower-alpha 5] | 0 | 28 | 10 | ||
Total | 101 | 43 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 17 | 44 | 13 | 191 | 75 | ||
Aston Villa | 2019–20[28] | Premier League | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 16 | 2 | ||
Fenerbahçe (loan) | 2020–21[26] | Süper Lig | 27 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 30 | 6 | |||
Fenerbahçe | 2021–22[26] | Süper Lig | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
Royal Antwerp (loan) | 2021–22[27] | Belgian First Division A | 27 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | 6[lower-alpha 3] | 3 | 5[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 39 | 9 | |
Genk | 2022–23[27] | Belgian First Division A | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
Career total | 304 | 128 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 76 | 45 | 48 | 13 | 444 | 191 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Tanzania | 2011 | 9 | 2 |
2012 | 5 | 0 | |
2013 | 10 | 6 | |
2014 | 3 | 1 | |
2015 | 7 | 2 | |
2016 | 4 | 1 | |
2017 | 4 | 3 | |
2018 | 5 | 2 | |
2019 | 9 | 3 | |
2020 | 1 | 0 | |
2021 | 2 | 0 | |
Total | 59 | 20 |
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 26 March 2011 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | ![]() | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
2 | 3 September 2011 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
3 | 11 January 2013 | Addis Ababa Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly |
4 | 6 February 2013 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
5 | 24 March 2013 | ![]() | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
6 | 3–0 | |||||
7 | 4 December 2013 | Afraha Stadium, Nakuru, Kenya | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2013 CECAFA Cup |
8 | 12 December 2013 | Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, Kenya | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2013 CECAFA Cup |
9 | 3 August 2014 | Estádio do Zimpeto, Maputo, Mozambique | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
10 | 7 October 2015 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
11 | 14 November 2015 | ![]() | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
12 | 23 March 2016 | Stade Omnisports Idriss Mahamat Ouya, N'Djamena, Chad | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
13 | 25 March 2017 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
14 | 2–0 | |||||
15 | 10 June 2017 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
16 | 27 March 2018 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
17 | 16 October 2018 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | ![]() | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
18 | 27 June 2019 | 30 June Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | ![]() | 2–1 | 2–3 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
19 | 8 September 2019 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–1 (3–0 pen.) | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
20 | 19 November 2019 | Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet, Monastir, Tunisia | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
TP Mazembe[29]
Genk
Aston Villa
Individual
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K.R.C. Genk – current squad | |
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Tanzania squad – 2019 Africa Cup of Nations | ||
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Awards | |||||||||||||||
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