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Kylian Mbappe has had a horrid time playing with face masks in the Euros. How has Victor Osimhen coped with playing with a mask? for the last three years?
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has had to play with a mask after he broke his nose on duty for France in the opening fixture of the European Championships.
Speaking to reporters, the 25-year-old described his experience so far playing a mask, and his narration begs the question: How does Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen cope?
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What Mbappe said
A head collision in France’s 1-0 victory against Austria in their Euros opening match meant Mbappe had to play with a face mask, as he had a procedure done on his nose.
Speaking to reporters, Mbappe explained that it has been difficult for him playing with the accessory, tagging it as horrific. The Real Madrid man has worn three different masks since the incident, none of which he has been comfortable with.
“Playing with a mask, it’s an absolute horror,” Mbappe said in the pre-match press conference of their round-of-16 clash against Belgium.
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“I changed it because each time, there was something wrong [with the mask]. It limits my vision. The sweat gets blocked. It felt like I was in 3D and that I was a VIP guest at the Euros.
“When you break your nose and you don’t have an operation, you become a target. I knew what I was getting into. I can receive hits; I am ready to give everything for this shirt.”
How does Osimhen cope?
Face-protecting masks are increasingly common in football, especially for watchers in Serie A who have, throughout the past two-and-a-half seasons, watched one of the best players in the division play exclusively with one.
Osimhen's mask-wearing was borne, first, out of necessity, after he had surgery on his face following a nasty head collision with Milan Skriniar, which left him with multiple fractures in the anterior of his skull.
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The incident happened in November 2021, and following his return to action in January the following year, the striker had to wear a protective mask.
The former Charleroi striker has since convalesced and can play without a mask; however, in 2024, he continues to spot a mask and it has become an identity.
Although Osimhen uses a smaller, fashionable mask, unlike the bigger, more medically functional one Mbappe lamented about, it is still a marvel that he recorded the best season of his career wearing an accessory that has been reported to be so uncomfortable.
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