Super Eagles and Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has opened up about the lingering effects of the facial injury he suffered in 2021, revealing why he still wears his 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 injury continues to affect his daily life — including how he eats.
“Now, I only eat on the right side of my face,” he said. “I can’t eat through the other side. The left side doesn’t function properly anymore.”
Osimhen sustained the injury in November 2021 during a Serie A match between Napoli and Inter Milan after colliding with Milan Škriniar. He suffered multiple fractures to his cheekbone and eye socket and required reconstructive surgery, which involved inserting 18 screws and a titanium plate.
Doctors initially feared he might lose vision in his left eye. While he returned to football, Osimhen said numbness and limited movement on the left side of his face have never fully gone away.
Recalling the incident, he said, “A cross came in from the wing. I went up for the header, and he pulled his head back. It wasn’t intentional, but I hit his skull with my chin and the bone shattered everywhere.”
He described being rushed to a hospital in Milan, where scans confirmed he needed immediate surgery. “I refused at first — ‘There’s no way I’m having surgery.’ But it was the only way to keep playing football. I had no choice.”
Osimhen added, “I still feel numbness and sometimes pain. When I smile, only one side of my mouth moves fully. Eating is the biggest daily reminder.”
Now at Galatasaray on loan from Napoli, he has scored 12 goals and provided five assists in 15 games this season.
The protective mask, first prescribed after surgery, has remained essential due to the long-lasting damage from the injury.
