In an exclusive interview with Afrik-foot, Super Eagles prospect and Slavia Prague defender Igoh Ogbu opened up about the harrowing incident that led to his injury in Slavia Prague’s 3-0 win over Viktoria Plzen last weekend.
The 24-year-old Nigerian, who has been a key figure in his team’s defence this season, went down clutching his face during the Czech Chance Liga match, sparking immediate concern as he had to be stretchered off and rushed to the hospital.
Recalling the moment it all happened, Ogbu said, “I do not really remember much. What happened was we went for a header during a corner kick, and I headed the ball. After that, I was on the floor. I tried to stand up, but I couldn’t because my head was already spinning.”
As he lay on the pitch, disoriented, it became clear that something was seriously wrong.
“They took me on a stretcher, and the next thing I tried to touch my face, but it was not normal, the way it should be,” Ogbu explained. “The doctor then told me I had a fracture on my face.”
Igoh Ogbu recalls injury nightmare
The situation escalated quickly as medical staff rushed him straight from the stadium to the emergency room, still in his jersey and boots.
Igoh Ogbu described the intense pain he felt throughout the ordeal, noting that it clouded much of his memory.
“I think that's all I could remember because I was in so much pain. I was given a lot of things, but they were not calming me down because the pain was too much,” he recalled.
The next morning, Ogbu was informed that surgery was necessary, but the doctors needed to wait until they could better manage his pain.
“They said they couldn’t operate on me with the pain I was in, so they had to give me morphine and some painkillers before taking me for surgery,” he recounted.
Ogbu: One step at a time
Now on the road to recovery, Igoh Ogbu is taking things one step at a time.
Doctors have estimated his return to the pitch could take about four weeks, but the defender is focusing on rest and allowing his body to heal.
“For now, the doctor said after four weeks I will be back, but I have a check-up every week. On the 30th, I will go for another check-up, so they are still examining me,” Ogbu revealed.
When asked about his mindset on returning to the pitch, Ogbu was clear that he wasn’t rushing anything.
“I think for a month, first, as the doctor said. I have just been discharged, so I am not thinking of my return yet. I just want to rest at the moment.”
Ogbu had been a mainstay in Slavia Prague’s defence this season, playing every minute until this injury forced him off.
With his stellar performances, the young defender has been tipped for a Super Eagles call-up in the near future.
Having already represented Nigeria at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland, he is poised for a call-up to the full national side.
For now, though, his sights are set solely on recovery, as the football world waits for his return to action.
