IT was not a game involving Manchester United, Arsenal or Liverpool but dozens of fans in Tanzania gathered around bars and football watching booths to witness a match pitting Aston Villa and Leicester City.
Yes Aston Villa! The club is becoming one of the most popular England’s Premier League in Tanzania as the fans have taken particular interest after it signed a four and half year deal with local star Mbwana Samatta.
And, the fans gathered in numbers as they were eager to witness their own prodigy son, Mbwana Samatta, featuring for the first time with his new team Aston Villa, in a Carabao Cup semifinal match against Leicester City, at the Villa Park Stadium in Birmingham, England on Tuesday night.
It was simply a big day for football lovers, as the ‘ africa-press’ witnessed most of the football watching booths in the city of Dar es Salaam crowded to the capacity with ecstatic football fans, while in bars some fans were chatting and sipping beer.
In Mbagala, a suburb in Dar es Salaam, where Samatta began his career with a local academy, before joining Mbagala Market, which later was renamed African Lyon, the area temporally came to a standstill as jam packed fans gathered at Zakhem open ground led by Samatta’s father ‘ Mzee’ Ally Pazi Samatta, for a public viewing of the match.
Though, he is yet to make his debut in the English Premier League, still Samatta, who is the national team, Taifa Stars skipper, became the first Tanzanian player to feature for an English team in one of the most popular and respected competitions– Carabao Cup and at the semifinal level.
In fact, Aston Villa won 2-1 and progressed to the final to be played at the popular England venue— Wembley in March this year.
In their first game at King Power Stadium they had a 1-1 draw making a score board read an aggregate of 3 -2.
Samatta lasted for 6 6 minutes in the game, which most Tanzanian football pundits and sports lovers was a perfect start basing on the fact that they were facing a tough opponent of Leicester City stature.
Aston Villa Head Coach, Dean Smith deployed Samatta in a central striking role, partnering Egyptian El Ghazi on the right and Target on the left while Jack Grealish was given a free role in a 3 -4-3 formation.
And the 27-year-old could and probably should have marked the occasion with a goal, but he somehow failed to convert a brilliant Grealish cross in the second half to make it 2-0.
Despite the miss, former Young Africans and Taifa Stars midfielder Ally Mayay, who is now a respected football pundit was pleased with what he saw.
“He tactically had a good game… his touches, movements and coordination with his team mates was impressive. With an exception of two open chances he missed, which is normal in football he generally had a good game,” said Mayay.
Mayay added that Samatta was very professional and it seemed he stuck to his coach’s instructions, dropping down a bit to press Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi from initiating attacks from the second line of defence.
Samatta was later replaced in the 6 6 th minute by Keinan and Coach Smith praised Samatta’s for an outstanding performance on his first game at V illa Park Stadium.
“I thought he did well. I knew he would tire at around 6 0 minutes. He stretches defenders, he gave Sö yü ncü and Evans a tough time and he linked play up well at times,” Dean said.
Dean added, in spite the fact that Samatta performed well but he believes that he still has to work on his pace and to sort his feet out as he missed an open chance created by Grealish in the second half, a goal that would have sunk City’s ship.
“He will get better once he adjusts to the pace of the game. He probably needs to sort his feet out a little bit better for the chance he had in the first half but he almost got on the end of a super ball from Jack in the second half.”
