Christopher Samba

At 40 years old, Christopher Samba has this physical status:

Christopher Samba, born 28 March 1984, is a professional footballer who plays as a defender.

He was born in France and competed for the Congo national team.

Personal life

Jean-Jacques and Clarisse's parents immigrated to France, and Samba was born in Créteil, France, and raised by a large family with seven children. Samba adored Lilian Thuram as a child and even wanted to imitate him. He talked about his father, saying that he is "a great man, he has always been, and he is an example to me in life."

Samba is married to Theresa, who he first met in Berlin, and they have a son named Tyrone. He was also a second time father. Despite moving to Russia and Greece, the family remained in England. Samba became a father for the third time when his daughter was born in November 2013.

He had his wisdom tooth extracted in August 2006, causing him to miss Hertha BSC's pre-season friendly matches. Samba was fined £120 in August 2010 after being caught speeding at 46 mph in a 30 mph zone in his Rolls-Royce in Lancashire. After being caught speeding at more than 130 mph on the M65 in April 2012, he was fined once more. "I know, but I know it's the first part of the question." Samba reflected on his behavior in an interview when asked. As for the second, yes, exactly once. Then the cop was arrested for speeding. Never again broke the rules. I like to be a law-abiding citizen."

Samba can speak French and German, but he does speak Russian occasionally, so he can also speak French. However, Samba later admitted in a Russian interview that he had trouble speaking Russian because of the alphabet differences between Russian and Latin alphabets. In an interview with the Guardian, Samba said in January 2013 that he intends to establish a foundation named after he established a football school in Congo. Samba said he played basketball outside of football, and he enjoys basketball as a hobby.

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Club career

Samba, a French Ligue 2 player, began his career with Sedan, having previously played for D'Issy-Moulineaux and Rouen. As a result, he left Créteil in youth to go to Sedan. Samba played in a striker role at one point before shifting to a center-back position. After progressing through the ranks of the Sedan's Academy, he made his debut for the club against FC Istres on the first game of the season, losing in the 57th minute in a 2–0 loss. However, Samba sustained an adductors injury that kept him out for the remainder of the 2003–04 season after making two more appearances for the team. His injury cost him his chances of obtaining his coaching contract at Sedan, and he was released by the club at the end of the 2003–04 season.

Samba revealed that he "had a lot of trials with clubs during that period," after his release by Sedan, but that none of them came off." "I had no team and I had to work by myself for a long time," he continued. I was 19 years old when I was first born. Because I was not able to recover from the injury without a physio, I had to go back to recover. No money was needed. I didn't have a club or training for six months, and I was just learning. I went to small squads like Rouen, where they did not even want to let me train with them." After being scouted while on international service in Congo, Samba was eventually signed by Berlin-based club Hertha BSC of the German Bundesliga.

Samba was drafted to Hertha BSC II right after signing for Hertha BSC. He then scored his first goal for the reserve team in a 5–2 victory over Preußen Münster on March 27, 2005, after making his Hertha BSC II debut. Samba scored against Borussia Dortmund II and Wuppertaler SV in the 2004-05 season. In all competitions, he made sixteen appearances and scoring three times during the 2004–05 season.

Samba was called up to the first squad for the first team of the 2005–06 season and trained with the senior players at the pre-season training camp. In the first round of the DFB Cup, he made his first team debut for Hertha BSC, arriving in the 86th minute and playing for the remainder of the game. Samba made his league debut for the club on August 26, 2005, against Bayern Munich, defeating them 3–0. Samba made his debut for the club in the first team, mainly because of the substitute bench. But Samba has frequently returned to play for the Hertha BSC II and has scored just once in twelve appearances. On March 18, 2006, it was announced that he had signed a contract extension with the club, effectively ending his service until 2008. However, Samba sustained a hamstring injury that kept him out for the remainder of the season as the 2005-06 season progressed. Despite this, he made twelve appearances for the senior team in all competitions.

Samba played in the first team in the 2006–07 season, mainly from the replacement bench. However, during his time in Hertha BSC, he had trouble breaking into the Hertha first team and wanted to move elsewhere in the January transfer window.

Samba was invited by Mark Hughes to attend a five-day trial at Blackburn Rovers because of a desire to move somewhere else. Hughes impatiently stated that he wanted to sign him at the trial. He completed a transfer to Blackburn Rovers of the Premier League on January 25, 2007, opting for a three-and-a-half year and sporting the number 21 shirt.

Samba made his Blackburn Rovers debut against Luton Town in the FA Cup Fourth Round as a 69th-minute replacement for Ryan Nelsen, who was defeated 4–0. He made his Premiership debut against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on January 31 in a 3–0 loss two days later on January 31. Samba made his debut for the club and became a first team regular for the club. In the 1–2 loss at Ewood Park on 17 March 17, he scored his first goal for Blackburn Rovers against West Ham United with a header in the 47th minute. In a 3–1 win over Watford at Ewood Park on April 18, Samba scored his second goal for the club, despite having Ryan Nelsen in the center of defense for the entire 90 minutes. Since making his Blackburn Rovers debut, he quickly became a fan favorite among followers and was named Newcomer of the Year at the club's award ceremony. In 19 appearances in fourteen Premier League games, he made 19 appearances from 2006 to 2007, scoring two goals in 19 games.

Samba made his debut in his debut season as a starter in the 2007–08 season and was given the number 4 shirt. He appeared in both legs of the UEFA Intertoto Cup match against FK Vtra in the third round, scoring in the second leg but losing 6–0 on aggregate at the start of the 2007–08 season. Samba returned to the starting lineup against Portsmouth on September 23, 2007, which they lost 1–0. Samba had signed a new long-term contract with Blackburn, extending his stay at the club until the summer of 2012. He scored a last-minute goal to give the club a 2–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur six days later on October 28, 2007. Samba appeared in every league game until December, when he was banned from two separate matches and was then given a compassionate leave. In a 2–1 victory over Bolton Wanderers on January 12, Samba scored his third goal of the season. Emile Heskey was suspended for three games due to his suspension, including his sending off against Wigan Athletic on March 16, 2008. Despite this, Samba regained his first team spot for the remainder of the season. During a 2–1 loss to West Ham United, he was instrumental in altercation with teammate David Dunn after conceding the equalization and the discussion continued in the dressing room at halftime. Manager Hughes talked about the dispute after the match, acknowledging the agony of a game. Samba made forty-one appearances and scoring three goals in all competitions during the 2007–08 season.

Samba started a central-back relationship with Nelsen at the start of the 2008–09 season. Despite losing 4–1 to West Ham United on August 30, 2008, he scored an own goal in the 20th minute to put the opposition team up by 2–0. In a 2–1 victory over Newcastle United on September 27, Samba was able to make amends after scoring his first goal of the season. Samba has been playing in every match since the start of the season, until he was forced to cancel against Middlesbrough on October 25, 2008. However, Samba was able to return to the starting lineup four days later against Aston Villa in a 3–2 loss. In a 2–1 loss to Sunderland two weeks later, he scored his second league goal of the season. In a 2–2 draw against Coventry City in the fifth round of the FA Cup, three months later, Samba scored his third goal of the season on February 15, 2009. Samba made several appearances as a striker in the latter stages of the 2008-09 season, although primarily recognized as a defender. With Blackburn losing 1–0 against Tottenham Hotspur on April 4, 2009, he started the second half up front. Blackburn went on to win 2–1, with boss Sam Allardyce claiming that Samba's presence was "key to victory." He started as a lone striker against Liverpool on April 11th, with natural striker Benni McCarthy left on the bench. In the next match against Wigan Athletic, Samba remained to play as a striker, earning the 2–0 victory for Blackburn. He was named Player of the Season at the club's award ceremony for his efforts. Samba had made thirty-nine appearances and scoring three times in all competitions by the end of the season.

Samba was linked to a move away from Blackburn Rovers, with clubs around Europe keen to sign him, but both manager Sam Allardyce and the player, himself, denied this possibility. He got off to a good start in the center-back position, regaining his first team spot. Samba scored his first goal of the 2009-10 season against Aston Villa on September 26, 2009. Nevertheless, he was sidelined on two separate occasions throughout October. Despite this, Samba has agreed to a new five-year deal with the club. The Lancashire Telegraph, a local newspaper, announced that Samba "must go down as one of the Premier League's longest contracts ever signed." In a 2–0 victory over Fulham at Ewood Park on January 17, 2010, he got off to a good start in his 100th Premier League start. Samba was dismissed in the 39th minute for unprofessional conduct in the second leg of the League Cup semi-finals, three days later. In a 3–0 loss against Stoke City on February 6, 2010, he was banned for his second bookable offence after serving a one-match suspension. In a 2–0 loss against Liverpool on 28 February 2010, Samba returned to the starting lineup after serving a two-match suspension, starting the entire match. In a 1–3 loss to Tottenham at White Hart Lane on March 13, 2010, he scored his third league goal of the 2009–2010 season. During a 0–0 draw against Manchester United on April 11, 2010, Samba played for the next five matches before suffering an injury and being forced to return in the 33rd minute. Rovers defeated Arsenal 2–1 at Ewood Park on May 3, 2010, with Samba scoring the winning goal. Despite team captain Ryan Nelsen's arrival and vice-captain David Dunn all starting, he was also named captain for the game. At the club's award ceremony, Samba was named Unsung Hero for his efforts. Samba made thirty-three appearances and scoring four times in all competitions at the end of the 2009–2010 season.

Samba captained the team in the season's first game against Everton and saw them win 1–0. He started to regain his first team spot in the center-back position. Samba was elected team captain for the 2010-11 season, with Nelsen replacing him as vice-captain. During a 1–1 draw against Manchester City on September 13, his appearance earned him the Man of the Match Award for his efforts to keep the opposition team close to a draw, "including the last ditch block from Jô's close range attempt." In a 1–1 draw against Fulham five days later, he scored his first goal of the season. In a 0–0 draw against Sunderland on October 18, Samba started in every match until being dismissed in the 45th minute. In a 2–1 loss to Chelsea on October 30, 2010, Samba returned to the starting line after serving a one match suspension. In a 7–1 loss to Manchester United on November 27, 2010, he scored his second league goal of the season. Samba sustained an injury and was recalled in the 57th minute during a 1–1 draw against West Ham United on December 17, 2010, causing him to be sidelined for weeks. Although on the sidelines, he was stripped of captaincy by new boss Steve Kean on December 26th after announcing his intention to leave Blackburn. Following Samba's discussion with Manager Kean, he has his captaincy role resumed. Despite being re-signed as a captain, he still has a keenness to leave Blackburn Rovers. In a 3–1 victory over Liverpool on January 5th 2011, Samba returned to the starting lineup despite the transfer rumors. Samba announced a new four-and-a-half year contract on February 2nd, 2011, the first month of the contract negotiations. In a 4-3 loss to Wigan Athletic on 5 February 2011, he scored his third goal of the season. Samba scored his fourth goal of the season on March 14, 2011 in a 2–2 draw against Blackpool after missing a match against Aston Villa on February 26, 2011, due to an illness. Despite recovering from injuries along the way, he continued to play his first team position for the remainder of the season. Samba captained Rovers in their 3–2 victory over Wolverham Wanderers at Molineux in the final Premier League match of the season, finishing 15th in the Premier League table, and was on the field at the final whistle. He made 36 appearances and scored four goals in all competitions during the campaign.

Samba continued to be linked to a move away from Blackburn Rovers as a player in the summer transfer window but the club remained at the club. He had discussed leaving Blackburn Rovers in the summer transfer window earlier in April. However, Samba skipped the first two Premier League games due to a groin injury. In the 0–1 loss to Everton at Ewood Park on August 27, he played his first game of the season. Samba started with debut centre Scott Dann in a 1–1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage on September 11, 2011 but was forced to miss 45 minutes due to a back injury and was forced to miss as a result. In a 4–3 victory over Arsenal at Ewood Park, he recovered and made his return to the starting lineup, as well as playing the entire game with Dann. Samba has continued to return to his first squad position since returning to work, forming a relationship with Dann and resuming his captaincy duties. In a 1–1 draw, Samba scored his first goal of 2011–12 seasons against Queens Park Rangers. In a 3–3 draw, he scored his second goal against Norwich City on October 29. Samba sustained a hamstring injury while being sidelined throughout November during a 1–0 loss to Chelsea on November 5th, 2011. He wasn't until he returned to the starting lineup against Swansea City on December 3rd to set up the club's third goal of the season, which was a 4–3 victory. In the upcoming two matches against Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion, Samba scored two goals. Due to his physical presence, boss Kean believed that Samba has been treated unfairly by referees in a number of matches. Samba was part of the squad that defeated Manchester United on December 31, 2011, defeating Alex Ferguson's side at Old Trafford 2–3. Blackburn was given a penalty by a foul on Samba in the penalty area, which Blackburn scored. Samba made seventeen appearances and scoring twice in all competitions by the time he left the club.

Following a request from Queens Park Rangers that was turned down, Samba turned in a transfer request. Samba's victory over Fulham was postponed on January 14th, but manager Steve Kean blamed the stomach virus. Blackburn turned down Samba's transfer request and released a statement claiming that the Rovers captain was not for sale on January 17, 2012. "I have always gave 100% in every game I have played in my five years with Blackburn Rovers," the player said the previous day. I have had numerous opportunities to leave, but I have always stayed. I've decided that now is the right time for me to pursue a new challenge, and that the club has asked me to respect my decision and encourage me to leave. I thank the fans for their continued support, and I hope they know I have represented them and their team well." Samba issued a statement to leave the club, but not "fully for the club" anymore. As a result, he was cut from the starting line-up and never played for the team again. In all competitions, Samba made 185 appearances and scoring 18 times by the time he left the club. Samba shared his thoughts about his departure, adding: "Blackburn is still in my heart; it was a major part of my life." I'm sorry to hear where they are now. It was difficult, but Steve Kean was doing well in the Championship and then they fired him, so it was a little surprising. Henning Berg has been fired now. The main thing is: I'm sorry for the fans. We had a great name together, but now they had a piece of that identity, but they've lost a small piece of that identity." Both Manager Hughes and Allardyce were praised by Samba for their respective football careers, despite the fact that they had no part in his football career.

Samba completed a transfer to Anzhachhachhu, Russia, on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee of around £12.3 million per week, earning him a salary of £100,000 per week. He was given the number 22 shirt after his move to Russia. Samba said the transfer was unexpected, but not a new challenge in his career or a new one.

Samba made his Anzhi debut on March 5th, defeating Dynamo Moscow 1–0, giving the team a clean slate. He was named Team of the Week after the match on Matchday 33. Samba made his debut for the club, establishing a friendship with Joo Carlos, establishing himself in the starting eleven. For March, he was named Player of the Month for the Month for his efforts. In a Russian Premier League match against Rubin Kazan on 6 May 2012, he scored his first goal for the team. Samba was named Team of the Week after the match and was voted Matchday 43. Despite missing two games during the 2011–12 season, he went on to make ten appearances and scored once in all competitions.

Samba helped the team keep six clean sheets and advance to the UEFA Europa League Group Stage after defeating Budapest Honvéd, Vitesse, and AZ Alkmaar. He also started the season as a result in the league, scoring two goals in Kuban Krasnodar and FC Rostov, respectively. In a 2–1 loss against Krylia Sovetov Samara, he didn't score his first goal of the season until September 2nd. Samba recovered his first team spot by playing in the middle of the backcountry, despite being in the middle of the pack. In a 3–1 victory over Terek Grozny two months later, he scored his second goal of the season. In a 2–0 win over Udinese on November 22nd, Samba scored his third goal of the season to qualify for the UEFA Europa League Knockout Stage. Nonetheless, he sustained a heavy blow to the head during the match and was ruled out as a result. Samba didn't return to the starting lineup on December 2, 2012, and the team beat CSKA Moscow 2–0. Samba made twenty-nine appearances and scoring three times in all competitions by the time he left Anzhachhachachhacha in January.

A crowd at Samba after a match between Anzhi and Lokomotiv Moscow on 17 March 2012, during which Lokomotiv won 1–0, allegedly throwing a banana at them. Samba threw the banana back into the crowd as a result, which he regretted doing. Samba expressed concern for the incident, which was close to children. The Congo international told reporters after the match, "I am very sad that this happened in front of children who were sitting in the same stadium." "It is a really bad example for them." Anzhi released a statement describing the act of the banana throwing as "idiotic."

Sergey Fursenko, the head of the Russian Football Union (RFS), told Samba that the police are still investigating the incident to find the individual who threw the banana at Samba. Both clubs (Anzhi Makhachhachhu and Lokomotiv) released a joint statement, promising to locate the fan who racially insulted Samba and publicly discipline him. However, Anzhi Makhachhachhachhachh's "interference" was launched after the club claimed that its supporters did not throw a banana at Samba, and Anzhi's Vice President, German Chistyakov said, "It seems FC Lokomotiv is trying to interfere in the investigation..." "We are sure this is nothing but absolute ignorance and foolishness." The Russian Football Union announced on March 30 that the thrower had been identified and that the thrower is a Moscow college student.

Samba promised to remain in Anzhi despite bigotry during weeks of the banana era.

Samba said:

Samba condemned Zenit Saint Petersburg supporters, specifically a small group of Zenit Saint Petersburg supporters who are openly against homosexual or non-white players playing for Zenit, as "living in another century." During the interview, however, he reaffirmed the case, saying: "I have no personal grievances against Zenit Saint Petersburg fans." Some fans of mine scare me. And not only this, but also other clubs that are outright hostile to black players."

Samba joined Queens Park Rangers for a reported £12.5 million on January 31, 2013, a four-and-a-half year contract. Following his transfer to QPR, QPR boss Harry Redknapp said that "Chris is just what we need." He's a monster. In both cases, great in the air, quick, a leader, a natural, and superb in both directions, but nails are tougher. He's a good centre-half. He was able to take a big pay cut."

In a 0–0 draw against Norwich City on February 2, 2013, Samba made his Queens Park Rangers debut by starting the whole game. He quickly established himself in the starting eleven after making his debut for the club, playing in the center-back role. Samba has expressed regret over the club's poor results since joining Queens Park Rangers, leading him to believe he was embarrassed for the loss. Samba was at fault when he gave up the penalty for the opener and then being stripped of possession to set up the second. He thanked followers on social media following the match. Queens Park Rangers were eventually relegated to the Championship after a 0–0 draw against Reading on April 28, 2013. Despite boasting that they were hopeful of relegation, the Rangers were relegated to the Championship. Samba sustained a fractured ankle that kept him out for the remainder of the 2012–13 season. Despite this, he continued to make ten appearances for the team.

Following Samba's demotion from the Premier League, Anzhi agreed to a £12 million contract on July 2nd to return the country's country's second half of the season. Rangers were looking to reduce their wage bill after being dropped out of the English Premier Division, with Samba being one of the top earners on a reported £100,000 per week. He had been confirmed on July 5, 2013 as he signed a four-year deal with the club. Samba said in an interview that he would never return to Russia.

Samba made his second appearance for Anzhachhachka in the first game of the season, starting as a late replacement in a 2–2 draw against Lokomotiv Moscow. In a 2–1 loss to Dynamo Moscow, he scored his first goal in his second spell with the club. In the aftermath of the following financial restructuring, the team, including Samba, himself, decided to transfer their entire squad, including Samba, in a month at Anzhachachhach. As a result, he revealed that he would leave the club as a result. Despite this, he made three more appearances, totaling five by the time he left Anzhachachhachchia for the second time.

Dynamo Moscow signed three players from Anzhu on August 29, 2013, with Samba being one of them. The number 84 shirt was he was given. However, Samba's family was still based in England. Samba was also linked with moves back to an English club for this reason.

Samba made his FC Dynamo Moscow debut on September 21, 2013, against Lokomotiv Moscow in a 3-1 loss. He had spent two games on the replacement bench. After making his debut, he confessed to not being fit for the reason on the substitute bench. Samba made his debut for the team on September 26th, 2013, but he scored his own goal in a 2–2 draw. However, his first squad appearances were limited, and he was put on the reserve bench. In a 2–0 victory over Amkar Perm, the runner returned to full fitness after recovering from injury. Dynamo Moscow defeated 4–2. Samba scored his first goal for the club in a follow-up match against CSKA Moscow. However, during the match, he sustained a concussion and was forced to be recalled in the 61st minute. Samba returned to the starting lineup, starting the whole game in a 0–0 draw against Rubin Kazan on March 23, 2014. In a 5–0 victory over Volga Nizhny Novgorod on April 14, 2014, he scored his second goal of the season. However, Samba missed the first three games of the season due to suspension and injury. He made eleven appearances and scoring twice in all leagues at the end of the 2013–14 season.

Samba started the season right by scoring the club's second goal of the season in a 7–2 victory over Rostov in the first game of the season. In a 2–0 victory over Ufa ten days later on August 13, Samba scored his second goal of the season on his second goal of the season. In the UEFA Europa League Play-Offs, he then scored in both legs against Omonia, resulting in a 4-3 victory on aggregate and advance to the group stage. He started to regain his first team position by playing in the center-back position. In a 3–2 loss to Zenit Saint Petersburg on September 13, 2014, Samba scored his fifth goal of the season. However, during Torpedo's 3–2 victory over Torpedo on September 22, 2014, he was exposed to racial taunts from the opposition team, prompting him to give a "unpleasant gesture" to Torpedo supporters. Despite the club's decision to cancel a portion of their stadium before being banned by the Russian Football Union (RFU), Samba, himself, was barred for two games for a "unpleasant gesture" to Torto supporters. He apologised to Torpedo Moscow's supporters after this. In a 2–2 draw against Lokomotiv Moscow on November 2, 2014, Samba returned to the starting line-up after serving a two-match suspension, starting the entire game. He captained Dynamo Moscow for the first time and helped the team draw 1-1 against Rubin Kazan on November 30, 2014. Samba scored his sixth goal of the season on April 26, 2015, against Rostov, in a 2–2 draw. Despite missing two games in the 2014–15 season, he went on to make thirty-seven appearances and scoring six times in all competitions.

Dynamo Moscow was barred from 2015-2016 Europa League action for breaching Financial Fair Play break-even rules. In a Russian interview, Samba retaliated angrily with the response. As a result, the majority of the foreign players have left the club. Samba's transfer to Trabzonspor took place in August, but the transfer went through, with Trabzonspor's Shota Arveladze commenting: "This is not the Samba I know, this is some kind of Mike Tyson." I need a football player, not a heavyweight boxer," I need. He turned down a new deal from Dynamo Moscow, which began talks in April. Samba didn't play any games for Dynamo in the first half of the 2015–16 season, with his spot in the line-up taken by a new signing Vitali Dyakov. Samba has a herniated disc in his neck, and he needs surgery to fix it, according to Dynamo boss Andrey Kobelev. His recovery took the majority of the remainder of the 2015–16 season after the surgery. During a friendly match against AFC Ajax, he sustained a foot injury. In a game against PFC CSKA Moscow on April 24, 2016, he returned to action for Dynamo. Samba made three appearances for the team after extending his 2015-16 appearance to four. However, his recovery was short-lived after he sustained another injury and was out of office for the remainder of the 2015-2016 season.

His Dynamo deal came to an end at the end of the 2015–16 season and was not renewed. He had speculated about not renewing his player deal with the club.

Panathinaikos announced the signing of Samba, who has signed a one-season contract with the Greens, on August 31, 2016, the last day of the pre-season summer transfer window. He said the transfer was a challenge and was eager for football when he joined the club.

In a 2–1 loss, Samba made his Panathinaikos debut against Ajax on September 15, 2016 against Ajax, finishing as a 73rd-minute substitute. In a 4–0 victory over PAS Giannina three days later, he made his league debut, starting the whole game. Despite joining the club over the summer, Samba's deal was terminated by mutual agreement on January 20th, 2017, as he has been plagued with injuries since the start of the 2016–17 season.

Samba was training at Aston Villa after an unsuccessful trial at Crystal Palace on Friday. He competed for Aston Villa Under 23's against Wolverhampton Wanderers Under 23's on March 6, 2017. Samba participated in a pre-season training camp in Portugal prior to the 2017-18 season. He joined the club on a one-year deal on July 20, 2017.

In a 1–1 draw with Hull City in the first game of the season, Samba made his Aston Villa debut, despite being a late replacement. In a 2–1 victory over Colchester United in the first round of the League Cup, he made his first appearance for the team, starting the entire game. Samba played 45 minutes before being called back at halftime as Aston Villa drew 1–1 against Bristol City on August 25, 2017. He found his first team appearances limited and was placed on the reserve bench. In a 2–1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday at Villa Park on November 4, 2017, he scored his first goal for the club. Samba spent the next five months recovering from his injury. He didn't make his return to the first squad until April 10, 2018, as a late replacement in a 1–0 victory over Cardiff City. Samba made fourteen appearances and scoring once in all competitions at the end of the 2017-18 season.

Aston Villa had released Samba on June 23, 2018. Samba began training to obtain a coaching license at the Irish Football Association after going without a club for a year. As a result, he quietly announced his retirement from football.

International career

In an interview, Samba defended the Republic of Congo's national team, saying, "I don't know where I will be today." Many people ask me why I don't have French nationality to participate in the France team. But it was the Congo team that gave me the opportunity to play soccer again when I needed it." On September 5, 2004, he made his Congo debut as a 20-year-old on Saturday against Togo and spent 61 minutes before being dropped after the team lost 2–0. Samba made his second appearance for Congo against Zambia on October 10, 2004 against Zambia, who lost 3–2.

Samba hoped that the move would improve him in order to receive a call-up from Congo after he was drafted. However, he made five appearances on the national side, but he didn't get a call up until February 2012, his first call up in five years. In a 1–0 win over Gabon a year ago, Samba scored his first international goal.

Samba declared in November 2014 that he did not participate in the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, citing his dedication to Dynamo Moscow. For the first time in two years, Samba was called up to the Congo squad in November 2016, but he was unable to make the final cut.

Coaching career

Samba had returned to the club as an academy coach on November 25, 2021.

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