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Osimhen recalls his head ‘exploding’, explains Drogba admiration, support for Senegal 

VICTOR Osimhen has described the moment he felt the impact of the clash of heads that kept him out of action for more than two months as an ‘explosion’.

The Napoli striker broke his cheekbone in a collision with Inter Milan’s Milan Skrinniar during a Serie A fixture in November and had to undergo surgery.

He had to miss several matches for Napoli and was not part of the Nigeria squad to the recent 2021 Africa Cup of Nations as he was still recovering from the corrective medical procedure.

The Super Eagles star has recently returned to action with a protective mask and was on the scoresheet on Saturday in Napoli’s 2-0 Serie A victory over Venezia.

“I felt like my face had exploded,” Osimhen told Italian newspaper Repubblica in an interview. “I touched my face and I couldn’t feel anything. I was even struggling to sleep. 

“However, I’ve worked hard on my recovery with the desire to improve as much as possible. I’ve tried to return as soon as possible without feeling sorry for myself.”

The 23-year-old then mentioned Didier Drogba as his role model and explained why he has so much admiration for the former Chelsea and Cote d’Ivoire striker.

“I like Drogba, but not just as a footballer,” Osimhen said. “I like leaders and he was it on and off the pitch, where it counts the most. He has a personality that I admire.”

The Napoli star named Lazio’s Ciro Immobile as his favourite Italian striker. “I think he is extraordinary,” he admitted.

“He always squeezes past defenders. He is always in the right place at the right time. You may not see him, but he is always there and makes everything look so easy, especially scoring goals.”

Osimhen, who rose from humble beginnings in Lagos to global prominence, insisted that stereotypes about African players should stop.

“I must say that I am quite fed up with those who consider African players like victims,” he said.

“There aren’t just sad stories, we are good footballers who want to improve. I was poor as a kid, but now it’s different. Otherwise, you nail me to a past that I do not forget, but that does not take into account what I’ve become.”

When asked who he believes is the toughest defender he has ever faced, Osimhen mentioned former Atalanta star Christian Romero and took the opportunity to reveal how he supported eventual champions Senegal at the 2021 AFCON.

“Romero, who is now at Tottenham. He was always faster than me every time we faced each other,” Osimhen explained.

“The other one is Kalidou Koulibaly, he never lets me score in training. When Nigeria were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations, I supported Senegal.”

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