Product Code Database
Mbwana Ally Samatta (born 23 December 1992) is a Tanzanian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Le Havre, and captains 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 Genk, helping them to qualify for the UEFA Europa League and win the Belgian Pro League in 2019. His twenty-goal tally saw him finish the season as the top scorer of the league; he also won the Ebony Shoe in Belgium for his outstanding season with Genk.
In January 2020, Samatta moved to Aston Villa, becoming the first (and only) Tanzanian player to both play and score in the Premier League.
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.
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.
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. On 1 March 2020, Samatta scored his only other goal for the club in the EFL Cup final against Manchester City, but went on to lose the game 2-1.
On 1 September 2021, Samatta joined Belgian side Royal Antwerp on a season-long loan.
On 16 August 2022, Samatta returned to Genk on loan, with an option to buy.
| +Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | |||
| Simba | 2010–11 | Tanzanian Premier League | 15 |
| TP Mazembe | 2011 | Linafoot | 2 |
| 2012 | 29 | ||
| 2013 | 28 | ||
| 2013–14 | 18 | ||
| 2014–15 | 8 | ||
| 2015–16 | 0 | ||
| Genk | 2015–16 | Belgian Pro League | 5 |
| 2016–17 | 20 | ||
| 2017–18 | 8 | ||
| 2018–19 | 32 | ||
| 2019–20 | 10 | ||
| Aston Villa | 2019–20 | Premier League | 2 |
| Fenerbahçe (loan) | 2020–21 | Süper Lig | 6 |
| Fenerbahçe | 2021–22 | 0 | |
| Royal Antwerp (loan) | 2021–22 | Belgian Pro League | 9 |
| Genk (loan) | 2022–23 | 6 | |
| PAOK FC | 2023–24 | Super League Greece | 3 |
| 2024–25 | 5 | ||
| Le Havre | 2025–26 | Ligue 1 | 0 |
| + Appearances and goals by national team and year !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals | |
| Tanzania | 2 |
| 0 | |
| 6 | |
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 1 | |
| 3 | |
| 2 | |
| 4 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 1 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| + List of international goals scored by Mbwana Samatta |
| 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| Friendly |
| Friendly |
| 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3–0 |
| 2013 CECAFA Cup |
| 2013 CECAFA Cup |
| 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| Friendly |
| 2–0 |
| 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| Friendly |
| 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| Friendly |
| 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| Friendly |
Genk
PAOK
Individual
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