5 most successful footballers from nations currently ranked outside the FIFA top 100

#5 Mbwana Samatta – Aston Villa and Tanzania (ranked #134)

Mbwana Samatta scored on his Premier League debut for Aston Villa

The Premier League has seen its fair share of African players over the years, including stars such as Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) and Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo).

Until recently though, no player from 134th ranked Tanzania had made his way to England. That all changed in January when striker Mbwana Samatta joined Aston Villa.

Samatta – who was born in the Tanzanian capital Dar Es Salaam and has made 56 appearances for his country, scoring 20 goals – signed for the Midlands club for a fee of around £8.5m from Belgian side Genk, and the hope for manager Dean Smith is that he’ll score the goals to keep Villa in the Premier League.

He’s already gotten off to a good start, scoring on his league debut for his new side in a 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth.

A proven goalscorer prior to joining Villa, Samatta started his career in Africa, playing in the Tanzanian and the Congolese leagues before moving to Europe with Genk in 2016 after being named as the best African player on the continent.

Following his move, he scored 75 goals in 191 games for the Belgian side – including 20 in 28 appearances in 2018-19 – and Villa fans will be hoping that he can use his powerful finishing skills and goalscoring touch to save them this season.