SUPER Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has revealed the permanent effects of the severe facial fractures he suffered in 2021, disclosing that the injury continues to shape his daily life and football career nearly four years later.
Speaking in an interview with Turkish sports outlet Fanatik monitored by News Point Nigeria Sport, the 26-year-old Galatasaray star explained that nerve damage from the collision has left him unable to eat with the left side of his mouth, a condition that has never fully healed despite multiple surgeries.
“I only eat on the right side of my face now,” Osimhen said. “The left side doesn’t function properly anymore. I can’t chew there. That part of my face still feels numb.”
Osimhen sustained the life-altering injury on 21 November 2021 during a heated Serie A encounter between Napoli and Inter Milan. While contesting an aerial ball, he collided head-first with defender Milan Škriniar, suffering catastrophic blows to his cheekbone and eye socket.
The impact left him with: multiple displaced facial fractures, a broken zygomatic bone (cheekbone) and a fractured orbital bone (eye socket).
Doctors immediately ruled the injury as one of the most severe facial traumas seen in the league, and Osimhen was rushed to a Milan hospital.
He underwent complex reconstructive surgery that included fixing 18 titanium screws and a plate to rebuild the damaged bones. Doctors initially feared potential vision loss in his left eye due to the extent of the swelling and bone displacement.
Recalling the moment he learned surgery was unavoidable, Osimhen said:
“They told me, ‘You need surgery.’ I refused at first because they were going to open my face. But it was the only way to keep playing football. I had no choice.”
Though he eventually recovered enough to return to action, the Nigerian striker says the injury left permanent nerve damage that still affects basic everyday functions.
“I still feel numbness and sometimes pain,” he said. “When I smile, only one side of my mouth moves completely. Eating is the biggest reminder — food falls out if I try to chew on the left.”
Osimhen’s black protective face mask, which has become his trademark — was initially meant to be temporary. But due to lingering nerve sensitivity, weakened bone structures, and medical advice, he has continued to wear it long after surgeons suggested he might stop.
The striker said the mask helps prevent further impact to the fragile area and offers psychological confidence when contesting aerial duels.
His resilience, many fans say, has become as defining as his goal-scoring ability.