An 18-year-old South African football fan travelled to Mexico to support Bafana Bafana and ended up becoming a viral sensation after his homemade makarapa captured the attention of football supporters from around the world.
Mexico (15 June 2026) – For one young South African football fan, the World Cup wasn’t just about watching Bafana Bafana take on Mexico. It became an opportunity to share a piece of South African culture with the world. By the end of the match, 18-year-old Adam Schlosberg had become almost as popular as the game itself, thanks to a homemade makarapa that captured everyone’s attention.
If you’ve been scrolling social media over the past few days, chances are you’ve seen him. Wearing a Castle Lager-inspired makarapa, Adam captured the attention of football fans from around the world, with photos and videos of the proudly South African headgear spreading far beyond the stadium. The story gained even more attention after rumours spread online that the South African fan had managed to smuggle beer into the match in his makarapa.
Did a South African try to smuggle beer into a stadium? In Mexico? There may be a joke here. It kinda writes itself.
We caught up with Adam (aka SloshyFooty on Instagram) to get the real story behind the viral moment and discovered that what started as a fun idea turned into an unforgettable experience that had Mexican football fans stopping him in the streets. Adam, who matriculated last year and is currently taking a gap year, says football has always been part of his life.
“My love for soccer comes from my father. I’m a huge Spurs fan and have been following them since I was six years old. Locally, I support Chippa United because my gran is from the Eastern Cape.”
His journey to Mexico was already something special before the makarapa became famous. Adam attended the tournament as one of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s Lucky Fans, a programme that gave a group of South Africans the opportunity to experience the World Cup firsthand.
“I got to Mexico as a Lucky Fan through the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. I was incredibly fortunate to be part of such an unbelievable experience and an amazing group of people. It really was a life-changing opportunity and something I will never forget.”
Like many South African sports supporters, Adam knew he wanted to represent the country in a way that would stand out.
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What makes the story even better is that the viral headpiece wasn’t packed into a suitcase before departure. It was built in Mexico. Adam says that he made it with the help of a few friends. But he did have the Castle Lager beers with him to give it some South African flavour.
“It became a fun project and a great way to show off our South African spirit.”
And show it off he did.
While Bafana Bafana supporters have long understood the significance of the makarapa, for many Mexican fans, it was their first encounter with one. The result was a flood of curiosity, questions and photo requests.
“The reaction when people saw it was insane. I had well over 100 people asking to take photos with me. People were fascinated by it and loved learning about the South African tradition behind the Makarapa. I even had Mexican fans stopping me in the streets and around the stadium asking for photos and wanting to know more about South Africa.”
Football has always been about more than what happens on the pitch. It is about connection and the stories supporters create around the game. While the scoreboard may not have gone South Africa’s way, Adam found himself becoming an unexpected ambassador for the country, introducing people from across the globe to one of South Africa’s most iconic sporting traditions… and of course, to Castle Lager too.
And despite the result, he says the experience was everything he hoped it would be.
“The atmosphere was absolutely unreal. The Mexican people are some of the friendliest people I have ever met, and the culture is one of the best I’ve experienced anywhere. Even though we lost, the energy in and around the stadium was amazing, and it was still a fantastic experience to be part of.”
As for Bafana Bafana, Adam has a message that many South Africans will probably agree with.
“My message to Bafana Bafana is simple: keep pushing and keep believing. Play the football that got you here in the first place and continue making South Africans proud. No matter what happens, the supporters back home are behind you every step of the way. Thank you for representing our country on the world stage.”
When asked about when the beers were drunk and if they were actually smuggled in… Adam laughed. And I guess that’s all we’ll ever know.
Castle Lager, you have a true ambassador here.
by 
