Former France and Barcelona defender Samuel Yves Umtiti has given Super Eagles star Ademola Lookman some words of encouragement to keep him at the top, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The 32-year-old was in attendance at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano when Atletico Madrid defeated his former side Barcelona by a 4-0 scoreline in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey semi-final. Lookman, Julian Alvarez and Umtiti’s former France teammate, Antoine Griezmann, all found the back of the net in what was a stunning performance. “Keep going like this, you have to keep going,” the two-time La Liga winner told Lookman. So you have to keep going,” Umtiti reiterated, urging the 2024 CAF Player of the Year to keep up the on-field chemistry with his teammates.

Source: Punch February 15, 2026 16:00 UTC