It was the perfect debut for the 16-year-old, who opened City’s account in the competition with a sublime strike early in the second half.
He was the youngest player in Ben Wilkinson’s starting line-up, and he carried himself with poise against a strong Napoli side.
Reigan Heskey, another young face in the side at 17, completed the afternoon with the final kick of the game, converting from the penalty spot in a composed performance by the team.
MATCH REPORT | CITY 2-0 NAPOLI - UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE
And speaking to Samba after the game, he provided his thoughts on his goal and the intensity of Europe’s most prestigious Academy competition.
“We were working on that type of move in training. I knew once Ryan [McAidoo] got the ball and Dante [Headley] was running, the gap opened,” explained Samba.
“And then I knew that was the time to turn, take my touch inside and shoot.
“It was a brilliant goal so I’m happy.
“It’s a big jump! I didn’t expect it [the difference in domestic competitions to Youth League] to be such a big jump. It’s a lot harder, the speed is faster, everything is faster. I just have to keep adapting to it so I can give better performances.
“It was very important [to win]. Last season it was a 4-2 [loss] here to Inter Milan. So it’s better, it’s progress. It’s a good start and it will give us good momentum against Monaco in the next game.”
Watch Samba’s post-match interview in full via the video above...
