# Samba Sow (footballer, born 1989)

Samba Sow (born 29 April 1989) is a Malian former professional footballer who played as a defensive or central midfielder.

## Club career

Sow played his first game for RC Lens on 22 May 2009, the season Lens won Ligue 2. He scored his first goal for the club on 15 May 2010 in the 36th minute against Bordeaux, which they won 4–3. He scored in the 95th minute to make the score 3–0 in the Coupe de la Ligue 1st round against Clermont on 22 July 2011.
On 20 June 2017, he moved to the Russian Premier League, signing with FC Dynamo Moscow. He extended his Dynamo contract on 30 December 2017.
On 1 August 2019, Sow signed for EFL Championship side Nottingham Forest on a two-year deal. Sow was a key player for Forest during the 2019–20 season. Notability, Forest had a win rate of 52% when Sow was in the team, compared to 30% when he was not playing. He featured less regularly during his second season at Forest due to a recurring injury problem, and was released following the end of his contract on 1 June 2021.

## International career

Sow played his first game for Mali on 27 December 2009, against North Korea in a 1–0 defeat for Mali.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 11 December 2021
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National Cup | National Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Lens | 2008–09 | Ligue 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Lens | 2009–10 | Ligue 1 | 31 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 1 |
| Lens | 2010–11 | Ligue 1 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 |
| Lens | 2011–12 | Ligue 2 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 1 |
| Lens | 2012–13 | Ligue 2 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 0 |
| Lens | Total | Total | 90 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 99 | 2 |
| Lens B | 2010–11 | Championnat de France Amateur | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 |
| Lens B | 2012–13 | Championnat de France Amateur | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Lens B | Total | Total | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 |
| Kardemir Karabükspor | 2013–14 | Süper Lig | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 36 | 0 |
| Kardemir Karabükspor | 2014–15 | Süper Lig | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Kardemir Karabükspor | Total | Total | 50 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | 60 | 1 |
| Kayserispor | 2015–16 | Süper Lig | 16 | 1 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 24 | 1 |
| Kayserispor | 2016–17 | Süper Lig | 25 | 2 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 2 |
| Kayserispor | Total | Total | 41 | 3 | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 57 | 3 |
| Dynamo Moscow | 2017–18 | Russian Premier League | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 24 | 0 |
| Dynamo Moscow | 2018–19 | Russian Premier League | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 0 |
| Dynamo Moscow | 2019–20 | Russian Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Dynamo Moscow | Total | Total | 41 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 43 | 0 |
| Nottingham Forest | 2019–20 | EFL Championship | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Nottingham Forest | 2020–21 | EFL Championship | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Nottingham Forest | Total | Total | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| Lens B | 2021–22 | Championnat National 2 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 273 | 5 | 32 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 312 | 6 |
* ↑ Appearances in the UEFA Europa League

### International

    As of 17 June 2019
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Mali | 2009 | 1 | 0 |
| Mali | 2010 | 4 | 0 |
| Mali | 2011 | 4 | 0 |
| Mali | 2012 | 9 | 0 |
| Mali | 2013 | 7 | 0 |
| Mali | 2014 | 2 | 0 |
| Mali | 2015 | 6 | 2 |
| Mali | 2016 | 2 | 0 |
| Mali | 2017 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 36 | 2 |
    Scores and results list Mali's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sow goal.
List of international goals scored by Samba Sow :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 6 June 2015 | Centre Sportif Maâmora, Salé, Morocco | Libya | 2–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 14 November 2015 | Francistown Stadium, Francistown, Botswana | Botswana | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |

## Honours

Lens
* Ligue 2: 2008–09
Mali
* Africa Cup of Nations bronze: 2013