Tanzania captain Mbwana Samatta seals transfer move to French team Le Havre AC

Tanzania national team captain Mbwana Samatta has sealed a transfer move to French Ligue 1 team Le Havre Athletic Club.

“Ally Samatta is Ciel&Marine!” read a statement on the club’s official website. “An XXL track record, a well-established reputation: it’s an experienced striker who, in the person of Ally Samatta, is setting up shop in Le Havre!”

The statement continued: “In Tanzania, there are two celebrities: Kilimanjaro and Ally Samatta. And even if HAC is used to moving mountains, it was simpler (and more useful!) to bring in the guide of the Taifa Stars, the nickname of the Tanzanian football team.

“Reading the striker’s CV, we understand the enthusiasm of this population of 66 million inhabitants for Ally, who will incidentally be the first representative of his country for the Ciel&Marine: good with both feet, a skillful finisher, the one whose nickname is “Samagoal” exploded at Tout Puissant Mazembe, one of the biggest African clubs, with which he was champion of the DRC four times and won the African Champions League in 2015, winning the title of top scorer in the competition and, that same year, that of best player playing in Africa.”

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 award 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.