I only eat on one side of my mouth – Osimhen

Super Eagles and Galatasaray star, Victor Osimhen, has opened up once again about the severe facial injury that nearly ended his football journey.

Speaking with MMA champion, Kerim Engizek, the striker explained that he now eats on only one side of his mouth due to the permanent metal implants in his jaw.

The injury happened during Napoli’s 3–2 loss to Inter Milan at the San Siro. Osimhen jumped for a header and clashed with Milan Skriniar. The force of the collision knocked him out briefly. Medical scans later confirmed multiple fractures on the left side of his face, including a broken jaw and damage around his eye.

Doctors informed Osimhen that surgery was the only way he could continue playing professionally.

The procedure involved inserting several plates and about eighteen screws to hold the bones together. Recovery was extremely painful. He struggled to sleep and could barely eat during those weeks of rehabilitation.

During the interview, he revealed that he now only eats on the right side of his face.

He explained that the left side of his face is held together by the metal implants inside (plates and screws), meaning he must be extremely careful to avoid stress or injury on that side.

Osimhen said, “It happened in 2021, we were playing against Inter Milan. So there’s this guy [Milan Skriniar], when the ball came through the flank, and I was trying to hit the ball while he was bringing his head behind me, he didn’t see the whole picture.

“So, I hit my jaw on his head, and the bones on the left side of my face were cracked, everywhere.

“I went to the hospital in Milan. They initially checked through the X-Ray before I was told to do an MRI scan.

“When he checked, he told me ‘, Man, you need surgery’. Then I told him, ‘No chance, I don’t do surgeries.

“He then told me I had to do it, but I didn’t want it because they were going to have to cut through my face, but then he told me if I wanted to continue to play football, that’s the only way.

“I told him a cut on my face wouldn’t be possible as there was already a scar.

“He then gave me a second option, where the stitches would go through my jaw, and I agreed to that.

“Now, I only eat on the right side of my face for the rest of my life; I can’t eat through the other side.

“There are several pieces of metal on that side that hold it all together, so I can’t risk it.

To protect his face, he continues to wear a safety mask in matches, a precaution prescribed by doctors that he maintains for long-term protection.

Even with the permanent modifications to his face, Osimhen remains one of the most fearless forwards in world football.

He continues to challenge defenders in the air, and a significant portion of his career goals have come from headers.

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