Article by Cezar Titor – Published Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 3:51 p.m. / Updated Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 3:55 p.m.
Yesterday, Gabi Balint posted on social networks a photo that immediately caused smiles. In the picture, the former great striker appears with several colleagues from the legendary Stela '86 team, Constantin Pistol, Mihai Majearu, Dan Stângaciu, but also Marcel Georgescu, the team's doctor from that period. Alongside them is a black person who bears a striking resemblance to Ousmane N'Doye, a resemblance even noted with humor by Balint, the author of the second goal in the final in Seville.
The photo quickly went viral and Gazeta got in touch with the former international to find out the full story behind this image.
Photo posted by Gabi Balint on social networks
I think the picture was taken in '86. Where? I don't remember. From left to right: Constantin Pistol, Mihai Majearu, Dan Stângaciu, Dr. Marcel Georgescu, Ousmane N'Doye (whom I trained in Vaslui after some 27 years) and me with a vinyl in my hand.
– Gabi Balint's post on Facebook
Gabi Balint: “I found it incredible how well the character resembles N'Doye”
Balint said he posted the picture because the character in it bears a striking resemblance to N'Doye, who he played with at Vaslui and considers him a great guy. The photo is from his personal collection, probably taken in a bazaar in an African country, around the time of the 1986 European Champions Cup final.
“That's more why I put it on. I found it incredible how well the character resembled N'Doye. I saw him play at Vaslui, an extraordinary boy, nice fire. The picture is from my collection, but I don't remember exactly where I took it. I think it was some kind of bazaar, somewhere in an African country, I don't know where we were then”, recalled Gabi Balint, in dialogue with Gazeta Sporturilor.
Ousmane N'Doye, photo from the Dinamo period
As far as I can tell, I was looking at a vinyl and I was probably in some kind of bazaar where I was in training. The photo was taken around the European Champions Cup final, I'm not sure if before or after it“, he added.
