Bangnep and His Journey to Finding His Stage Through Football Content

JAKARTA – Jakartaweekly.com. The world of digital creators continues to evolve, opening up opportunities for anyone to turn creativity into part of their career journey. One such creator is Muhammad Hanif, better known as Bangnep (@muhanifiqri), who has gained recognition through his football parody content on social media.

Interestingly, Bangnep’s journey in the creative world did not begin with football. Before becoming known as a sports content creator, he first built his career in gaming.

His journey began as early as 2010, when he was active on Twitter through the account @TawaTweet. From there, his interest in the creative world continued to grow, eventually leading him to discover TikTok as a new platform in 2020.

When he first started creating content on TikTok, Bangnep focused primarily on gaming. In 2023, he began pursuing the creative industry full-time as both a content creator and game streamer, while also completing his master’s degree.

The knowledge he gained during his studies did not remain confined to the classroom. Bangnep sought to apply it directly to developing new ideas and finding a content format that suited his personality and strengths.

A major turning point came in November 2025. At the time, a football parody video using a POV concept received a response far beyond his expectations. The content not only gained traction on TikTok but also spread across Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Shorts.

“Football content was initially one way to help make my football game livestreams more engaging. But unexpectedly, the football content took off beyond my expectations,” Bangnep said.

That momentum encouraged Bangnep to take football content more seriously, rather than focusing solely on game streaming. Toward the end of his journey as a gaming creator, he had already begun regularly playing football-related games, with football content becoming part of his strategy to support his livestreaming activities.

From Gaming to Football

Bagnep’s transition from gaming to football content was not something that happened overnight.

Toward the end of his journey as a gaming creator, he had already started regularly playing football-related games. Football content initially became part of his strategy to support his livestreaming activities.

However, the strong response from viewers made him realize there was an even greater opportunity in the space. For Bangnep, football has a different character from many other topics. The sport is constantly evolving, with competitions taking place throughout the year and fans spanning different age groups.

His own interest in football began in childhood. One of his strongest memories is the 2002 FIFA World Cup, particularly the final between Brazil and Germany.

Ronaldo Nazário’s performance in that match remains one of the moments that left the deepest impression on him and helped introduce Bangnep to the world of football.

“One of my strongest core memories of football is the 2002 World Cup. The Brazil versus Germany match was especially memorable because of Ronaldo Nazário’s performance,” said the Bandung-based creator, who was born in 1996.

Over time, Bangnep came to see that football was not just a hobby, but also a field with significant potential to be developed into digital content.

Dare to Experiment and Stay True to Yourself

Bagnep’s journey from gaming to becoming a football parody creator shows that finding the right niche takes time and experimentation. In his view, creators should not be afraid to try something new, as long as they remain true to the character and personality that make them unique.

Changing content may cause some existing followers to leave, but at the same time, it can also create opportunities to reach entirely new audiences.

“People come and go. Find the point where you can continue to grow,” Bangnep said.

For Bangnep, staying true to yourself is equally important. Creators do not need to build an entirely different persona simply to follow trends. Trends can certainly be leveraged, but they should still be adapted to suit each creator’s own style and personality.

“Being yourself is the most important thing,” he added.

He also encourages creators to keep up with trends on TikTok. However, trends should not simply be copied. Instead, they should be reinterpreted and presented in a creator’s own style to ensure the content still feels natural and authentic.

Throughout his journey, Bangnep has experimented with different types of content, ranging from gaming clips and humorous roasting during gameplay to football parodies. Each experiment gave him new experiences and insights, eventually helping him discover the format that suited him best.

That is why his message to aspiring creators is simple: keep consistently experimenting with new creative ideas.

“Never stop trying. Keep creating, because we never know when our time to rise will come,” he said.

According to Bangnep, the more creators experiment, the more they can learn. Dedication, consistency, and hard work are essential foundations for continued growth in the creative industry.

Ultimately, there is no guaranteed formula for success on TikTok. What matters most is continuing to create, being willing to experiment, keeping up with evolving trends, and staying true to yourself.

While the journey is not always easy, Bangnep believes that dedication, consistency, and hard work are the keys to continued growth in the creative world. His own journey—from gaming to eventually discovering his strength through football parody content—shows that having the courage to try something new can open doors to unexpected opportunities.