In a twist to Ivory Coast’s thrilling Round of 16 victory over defending champions, a football fan, Anselme Santos, stole the spotlight for his amorous advances caught on camera.
The incident, which turned into instant meme material, saw Santos attempting to woo a young lady amidst the euphoria of the team’s success.
Santos, undeterred by the intense match, was seen making a determined effort to engage in conversation with his seatmate, a moment that quickly went viral. In a surprising turn of events, Santos has reportedly issued a public apology to his wife and children for any distress his actions may have caused.
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“In the euphoria, I told her, ‘Give your number.’ It wasn’t mean, but she didn’t want to. So I didn’t insist. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to the lady, my wife, and my children,” Santos stated, expressing remorse for his impulsive actions during the celebratory atmosphere.
The football drama didn’t stop in the stands, as Ivory Coast faced a perilous situation in the competition.
The host nation, narrowly qualifying for the knockout stage as one of the third-best teams from the group stage, witnessed the dismissal of their manager, Jean-Louis Gasset, even before the knockout stage teams had.