Super Eagles and Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has revealed the extent of the lasting damage from the horrific facial injury he suffered in 2021, saying the left side of his face no longer works properly when he eats. The 26-year-old opened up to Turkish outlet Fanatik, explaining that the injury permanently altered his facial function.

“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 suffered multiple facial fractures in November 2021 during a Serie A match between Napoli and Inter Milan after a violent collision with defender Milan Škriniar. His cheekbone and eye socket were shattered, requiring major reconstruction with 18 screws and a titanium plate. At the time, doctors feared he might lose vision in his left eye.

 

Although he eventually returned to football, Osimhen said the long-term effects never went away. “I still feel numbness and sometimes pain,” he said. “When I smile, only one side of my mouth moves fully. Eating is the biggest daily reminder – food falls out if I try to use the left side.”

 

Despite the permanent nerve damage, Osimhen has maintained elite performance levels. Now on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, he has scored 12 goals and provided 5 assists in 15 matches this season.

 

The protective mask he has worn since the injury, once a medical necessity, has now become a constant in his career. Osimhen’s revelation has sparked widespread concern, reminding football fans that behind the iconic mask is a player still living with the consequences of that traumatic afternoon in Naples.

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