Is this a small world situation/event? [closed]

I wanted to know if the following is a small world situation or merely a coincidence or both.

One of my friends has moved from London to Manchester to work for a corporate bank his name is Wasim. The person he has replaced in this particular role was also called Wasim. I mean it's not the most common of names.

After finding this out could you use the phrase 'It's a small world'?

Solution 1:

From https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%28it%27s%20a%29%20small%20world

used to show surprise when one meets someone one knows at an unexpected place or finds out that one shares a friend, acquaintance, etc., with another person, "You know him, too? Wow, it's a small world."

Your usage would not fit the context of "it's a small world" in this case Because you did not know the person. It would be more of a "What a coincidence!" response.