_11_(cropped).jpg) Samatta withGenk in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mbwana Ally Samatta[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1992-12-23)23 December 1992 (age 32)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Le Havre | ||
| Number | 70 | ||
| 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 | 144 | (56) |
| 2020 | Aston Villa | 14 | (1) |
| 2020–2023 | Fenerbahçe | 30 | (5) |
| 2021–2022 | →Antwerp (loan) | 32 | (5) |
| 2022–2023 | →Genk (loan) | 33 | (6) |
| 2023–2025 | PAOK | 41 | (6) |
| 2025– | Le Havre | 6 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011– | Tanzania | 85 | (22) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 26 October 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 21:21, 9 September 2025 (UTC) | |||
Mbwana Ally Samatta (born 23 December 1992) is a Tanzanian professionalfootballer who plays as astriker forLigue 1 clubLe Havre, andcaptains theTanzania national team.
Samatta began his career as a youth player for Tanzanian clubAfrican Lyon in 2008. He turned professional in 2010 withSimba Sports Club, where he played for only half of the season before moving toTP 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 theCAF Champions League, as he helped TP Mazembe to win the title.
In January 2016, Samatta signed for Belgian sideGenk, helping them to qualify for theUEFA Europa League and win theBelgian Pro League in 2019. His twenty-goal tally saw him finish the season as the top scorer of the league; he also won theEbony Shoe award in Belgium for his outstanding season with Genk.
In January 2020, Samatta moved toAston Villa, becoming the first (and only) Tanzanian player to both play and score in thePremier League.
Samatta was a key figure duringTP Mazembe's run to thefinal of the2015 CAF Champions League, scoring seven goals in the process and finishing as the competition's top scorer.[4] In their group stage match againstMoghreb Tétouan, Samatta scored a memorable hat-trick to secure a place in the semi-finals where they were drawn againstSudanese sideAl-Merrikh SC.[5] Mazembe would go on to lift the cup after defeating Algerian sideUSM 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 theCAF African Player of the Year.[8] Mbwana garnered a total of 127 points, ahead of hisTP Mazembe teammate and DR Congo goalkeeperRobert Kidiaba, who amassed 88 points, and AlgerianBaghdad 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 withKRC 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 againstBrøndby IF in the Europa League for a 5–2 win.[12]
During the 2018–19 season, he led theBelgian First Division A in scoring with 20 goals, as Genk finished the season as league winners. In May 2019 he was awarded with theEbony Shoe award for his exploits during the campaign.[13]
On 20 January 2020, Samatta signed a four-and-a-half-year contract withPremier League clubAston Villa.[14] In doing so, he became the first Tanzanian to sign for a Premier League club.[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 2–1EFL Cup semi-final second-leg win overLeicester City, a result which sealed the club's place in thefinal of the competition.[18]
On 1 February 2020, Samatta scored on his league debut for Aston Villa, in a 2–1 defeat toBournemouth. This made him the first player from Tanzania to play, and subsequently score in the Premier League.[19] On 1 March 2020, Samatta scored his only other goal for the club in theEFL Cup final againstManchester City, but went on to lose the game 2-1.[20]
On 25 September 2020, Samatta joinedSüper Lig clubFenerbahçe S.K. on an initial loan deal until the end of the season.[21] As part of the deal, Samatta signed a four-year contract at the end of his loan spell in July 2021.[22]
On 1 September 2021, Samatta joined Belgian sideRoyal Antwerp on a season-long loan.[23]
On 16 August 2022, Samatta returned to Genk on loan, with an option to buy.[24]
On 17 July 2023,Super League Greece sidePAOK announced the signing of Samatta on a two-year contract, with an option for one year more.[25]
On 5 August 2025,Ligue 1 sideLe Havre announced the signing of Samatta on a free transfer. The signing made Samatta the first Tanzanian signing for a Ligue 1 club.[26]
On 13 June 2019, he was named by managerEmmanuel Amunike as one of the 23 in2019 Africa Cup of Nations.[27] He made his debut in the competition on 23 June againstSenegal in the round-robin stage.
Samatta is a Muslim. He made theumrah to Mecca in 2018 with hisGenk teammateOmar Colley.[28]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Simba | 2010–11[29][30] | Tanzanian Premier League | 25 | 13 | — | 2[c] | 2 | — | 27 | 15 | ||||
| TP Mazembe | 2011[29][30] | Linafoot | 8 | 2 | — | — | 8 | 2 | ||||||
| 2012[29][30] | 29 | 23 | — | 6[c] | 6 | — | 35 | 29 | ||||||
| 2013[29][30] | 37 | 20 | — | 6[c] | 6 | 2[d] | 2 | 45 | 28 | |||||
| 2013–14[29][30] | 29 | 15 | — | 9[c] | 3 | — | 38 | 18 | ||||||
| 2014–15[30] | — | 7[c] | 8 | — | 7 | 8 | ||||||||
| 2015–16[30] | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Total | 103 | 60 | — | 28 | 23 | 2 | 2 | 133 | 85 | |||||
| Genk | 2015–16[31] | Belgian Pro League | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 5 | |||
| 2016–17[31] | 37 | 13 | 4 | 2 | — | 18[e] | 5 | — | 59 | 20 | ||||
| 2017–18[31] | 31 | 8 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 35 | 8 | |||||
| 2018–19[31] | 38 | 23 | 1 | 0 | — | 12[e] | 9 | — | 51 | 32 | ||||
| 2019–20[31] | 20 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 6[f] | 3 | 1[g] | 0 | 28 | 10 | |||
| Total | 144 | 56 | 10 | 2 | — | 36 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 191 | 75 | |||
| Aston Villa | 2019–20[32] | Premier League | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 16 | 2 | ||
| Fenerbahçe (loan) | 2020–21[30] | Süper Lig | 27 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 30 | 6 | |||
| Fenerbahçe | 2021–22[30] | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Royal Antwerp (loan) | 2021–22[31] | Belgian Pro League | 32 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | 6[e] | 3 | — | 39 | 9 | ||
| Genk (loan) | 2022–23[31] | 33 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 6 | ||||
| PAOK | 2023–24 | Super League Greece | 29 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 12[h] | 1 | — | 44 | 3 | ||
| 2024–25 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 4[i] | 1 | — | 20 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 41 | 6 | 7 | 0 | — | 16 | 2 | — | 64 | 8 | ||||
| Le Havre | 2025–26 | Ligue 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 429 | 152 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 92 | 50 | 3 | 2 | 548 | 206 | ||
| 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 | 10 | 4 | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 85 | 22 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 March 2011 | National Stadium,Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |  Central African Republic | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2 | 3 September 2011 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |  Algeria | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 3 | 11 January 2013 | Addis Ababa Stadium,Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |  Ethiopia | 1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 4 | 6 February 2013 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |  Cameroon | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 24 March 2013 |  Morocco | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 6 | 3–0 | |||||
| 7 | 4 December 2013 | Afraha Stadium,Nakuru, Kenya |  Burundi | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2013 CECAFA Cup |
| 8 | 12 December 2013 | Nyayo National Stadium,Nairobi, Kenya |  Zambia | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2013 CECAFA Cup |
| 9 | 3 August 2014 | Estádio do Zimpeto,Maputo, Mozambique |  Mozambique | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 10 | 7 October 2015 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |  Malawi | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 14 November 2015 | Algeria | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 12 | 23 March 2016 | Stade Omnisports Idriss Mahamat Ouya,N'Djamena, Chad |  Chad | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 13 | 25 March 2017 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |  Botswana | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 14 | 2–0 | |||||
| 15 | 10 June 2017 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |  Lesotho | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 16 | 27 March 2018 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |  DR Congo | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 17 | 16 October 2018 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |  Cape Verde | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 18 | 16 June 2019 | Olympic Sports Center,Cairo, Egypt |  Zimbabwe | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 19 | 27 June 2019 | 30 June Stadium,Cairo, Egypt |  Kenya | 2–1 | 2–3 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 20 | 8 September 2019 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Burundi | 1–0 | 1–1(3–0p) | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 21 | 19 November 2019 | Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet,Monastir, Tunisia |  Libya | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 22 | 23 March 2022 | National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Central African Republic | 2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
TP Mazembe[33]
Genk
PAOK
Individual
Tanzania squads | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
Awards | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
