Samba made his debut for Anzhi on 5 March 2012, with the team defeating Dynamo Moscow 1–0, therefore keeping a clean sheet. After the match, he was named Matchday 33’s Team of the Week. Since making his debut for the club, Samba quickly established himself in the starting eleven, forming a partnership with João Carlos. His performance earned him the club’s Player of the Month for March. He scored his first goal for the team on 6 May 2012 in the 3–1 home win over Rubin Kazan in a Russian Premier League match. After the match, Samba was named Matchday 43’s Team of the Week. Despite missing two matches during the 2011–12 season, he went on to make ten appearances and scored once in all competitions.