A heated debate has emerged in Turkey surrounding whether Victor Osimhen should be allowed to continue wearing his protective face mask after a collision left a Rizespor defender with a facial fracture.

The controversy unfolded after Osimhen’s debut for Galatasaray in their dominant 5-0 victory over Rizespor on Saturday. The match was marred by an incident involving Super Eagles striker Osimhen and Rizespor defender Khusnidden Alikulov, who suffered a broken cheekbone following a head collision. Alikulov was immediately treated by the Rizespor medical team and later hospitalized.

The injury has sparked a significant discussion on social media, with some users in Turkey speculating that the screws in Osimhen’s face mask may have contributed to the defender’s injury.

Ironically, Osimhen himself wears the protective mask due to a serious facial injury sustained while playing for Napoli against Inter Milan in November 2021. The mask is designed to prevent further injury to his face.

As the debate continues, medical experts and football authorities in Turkey may need to weigh in on whether Osimhen’s mask could pose a safety risk to other players.