A photo from RC Lens’s opening weekend of the season had fans doing a double take. Amid the celebrations of a 5-2 win over Auxerre, one Lens player’s dreadlocks and easy smile looked so close to Bayern Munich and France winger Michael Olise that clips of him quickly started circulating online, with plenty of fans convinced they were looking at Olise himself.
Lens had done what Real Madrid can't do pic.twitter.com/FasuiC56IX
— Steeze (@Cityy_steeze) August 23, 2026
The player in question is Ismaëlo Ganiou, a 21-year-old centre-back who came through Lens’s own academy. Born in Lille on March 14, 2005, Ganiou holds dual French and Burkinabé citizenship and has already represented Burkina Faso at international level. After spells out on loan at Padova and Annecy, he returned to Lens and has become part of the club’s first-team picture heading into this season.
Ismaelo Ganiou 🇫🇷
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) August 22, 2026
Souleymane Sagnan 🇲🇱
Made in Lens 🟡🔴 pic.twitter.com/u4UXjd2E3M
The moment that sparked the comparisons came in Lens’s Ligue 1 opener against Auxerre on August 22, 2026. Ganiou scored the club’s fourth goal of the afternoon in the 66th minute, helping seal what turned into a 5-2 win at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
Lens start the new season strong ✋🔥 pic.twitter.com/9QOKrWfE7x
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) August 22, 2026
It was in the celebrations right around that goal that the photo drawing the Olise comparisons was taken, teammates gathering around him, his dreadlocks and features leading fans on social media to point out just how much he resembled the Bayern Munich star.
It’s not hard to see why the comparison caught on. Olise, also known for his dreadlocks and calm demeanor on the pitch, has become one of the most recognizable young players in Europe following his move from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich and his role in France’s squad.
For a rising defender at a mid-table French club to be mistaken for him, even briefly, was enough to turn a routine celebration photo into a small viral moment.
Beyond the resemblance, Ganiou’s game has nothing to do with mimicking Olise’s style, the two play entirely different positions. Where Olise is an attacking winger known for his creativity and end product, Ganiou operates as a centre-back, and his emerging performances at the back have been part of what’s made him a name to watch in Ligue 1 this season.
The lookalike moment may have been what got people talking, but it’s his own performances on the pitch that are likely to keep his name in conversation going forward.
