Ivorian man caught asking for lady’s number in viral AFCON video apologises to wife and kids

Following Cote D'Ivoire's surprising victory over Senegal in the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), an Ivorian man found himself in the spotlight after a video, in which he was captured making advances towards a seemingly uninterested woman, went viral.

The man, now identified as Anselme Santos, and who was wearing an Ivorian jersey, appeared to have gotten a little taken way in the post-match celebrations, briskly leaning over to his female neighbour to whisper a couple of sweet nothings.

However, the woman's cold response to the man's actions quickly turned the brief clip into a sensation across various online platforms, adding an unexpected twist to the ongoing excitement of the AFCON tournament and, consequently, turning the awkward interaction into a meme.

In response to the video's widespread circulation, Santos has now publicly apologized for his spur-of-the-moment behaviour, acknowledging that in the midst of the celebrations, he had asked for the woman's phone number - albeit unsuccessfully.

He, however, clarified that his approach was not insistent, stating that there was nothing wrong with asking for a phone number as the entire stadium was filled in a celebratory mood.

"I asked her please give me your number, there’s nothing wrong to ask,” he told an Ivorian TV station.

"I was not insisting…we are in the stadium, we are having fun, I was not harassing her, I didn’t go to the stadium to hit on women, No, in front of all those cameras?"

Santos also said that he did not know that he was being filmed and that he saw it whilst in his hotel room.

"I saw the video while was in the hotel, everyone was calling me saying it had gone viral on social media," he said.

He finally acknowledged the lapse in judgment in trying to woo the young woman while also expressing remorse for any distress caused to his wife and children.

"I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to my wife, my kids, I want to apologize to the lady and her family...we were just having fun, I am truly sorry," he said.

Cote D'Ivoire secured a quarterfinal spot against Mali after defeating Senegal on penalties in a thrilling match that ended 1-1 after regulation and extra time.