An Afghan wedding singer has become famous at home and on social media for his resemblance to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Abdul Salam Maftoon, a 29-year-old from the northeastern Afghan province of Badakhshan, is a contestant on ‘Afghan Star’, a talent show modelled on X Factor in Britain and the United States.

He did not know who Mr Trudeau was when he entered the competition, let alone that he looked like him. It was only when a judge on the music show noted the similarities between the two.

Footage of the singer appearing on the show started to spread on social media, gaining hundreds of retweets over his similar looks to the Canadian leader.

A contestant on Afghan Star who's a doppelganger for Justin Trudeau is lighting up the internet. | @CBCNews pic.twitter.com/9lHGmfNKMh

— CBC (@CBC) January 11, 2019

The doppelganger is still in the competition and hopes to win. His uncanny resemblance to the Canadian leader might now boost his popularity and see him win the competition. He is down to the final eight contestants and is set to compete in the final that will be

Afghans are now suggesting that the pair were separated at birth. “Trudeau’s lost twin,” wrote one user.

Another said: "This is truly the copy of Trudeau. I'd love to see our Trudeau win this year's Afghan Star."

He currently makes his living from performing at weddings and, while the resemblance is unlikely to give him a new career, he is set to become more in demand for events in his home country.

While Mr Maftoon has little chance of going to Canada any time soon, he holds hopes of one day meeting his Canadian double.

“I want to meet him if he wants to because he is a global personality and I am a poor man from a remote part of Afghanistan,” he told AFP news agency.

“We will see what happens.”

The National

• Tags:
• Afghan