Super Eagles striker and Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen has opened up on the long term consequences of the devastating facial injury he suffered in 2021, revealing why he still wears his trademark protective mask four years later.
In a video shared on X on Tuesday by user 𝐀𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐲𝐆𝐑𝐍, the 26 year old told Turkish outlet Fanatik that nerve damage from the incident continues to affect his daily life including something as basic as eating.
“Now, I only eat on the right side of my face,” Osimhen said.
“I can’t eat through the other side. The left side doesn’t function properly anymore.”
A career threatening injury
Osimhen suffered horrific facial fractures in November 2021 during Napoli’s Serie A clash with Inter Milan following a collision with defender Milan Škriniar.
The impact left him with multiple fractures including a broken cheekbone and eye socket requiring reconstructive surgery involving 18 screws and a titanium plate. Doctors even feared he could lose vision in his left eye.
He recalled the moment vividly:
“A cross came in from the wing. I went up for the header, and he pulled his head back… I hit his skull with my chin and the bone shattered everywhere.”
“They took me to a hospital in Milan. They did an X-ray, then an MRI. The doctor said, ‘You need surgery.’ I refused at first but it was the only way to continue playing football. I had no choice.”
Lingering effects: numbness, pain, and loss of movement
Despite making a full return to elite football, Osimhen says the injury has never truly disappeared.
He still experiences numbness on the left side of his face
Partial facial movement affects his smile
Eating remains a daily struggle:
“Food falls out if I try to use the left side.”
The lingering nerve damage is also the reason he continues to wear his customised protective mask originally prescribed after his surgery but now a necessary part of his career.
Still scoring, still fighting
Now at Galatasaray after his move from Napoli, Osimhen has shown no signs of slowing on the pitch, scoring 12 goals and providing five assists in 15 appearances across competitions this season.
But off the pitch, the long shadow of that 2021 injury remains a constant reminder of the price he paid.