Algeria's Unlikely World Cup Love Affair with Kansas Town

The Unlikely Bond Between Algeria and Lawrence, Kansas

You’ve probably seen it by now: The video of a sweet elderly man overcome with emotion, standing outside in the rain and thunderstorms of Lawrence, Kansas, as Algeria arrived at its base camp.

The video and several more have gone viral as the surprise love affair of the World Cup has emerged from what seems like the unlikeliest of places – at least to those on the outside.

Algeria and Lawrence, Kansas, are apparently a match made in heaven.

“Seeing five to six hundred people that first evening, fans that were waiting outside our hotel, it really gave me goosebumps,” said Algeria head coach Valdimir Petković ahead of Tuesday’s showdown with Argentina.

The Community Comes Together

Lawrence is located a little over 40 miles from Kansas City, a roughly 40-minute drive from the Metropolitan area that is hosting the base camps of Argentina, the Netherlands, and England for the World Cup. All three are staying at boutique hotels around the city. Algeria? Well, they chose the humble Lawrence DoubleTree.

Local organizers wanted to make sure that the country felt welcome in their city, according to Stan Herd, a local artist. So much so, they’ve commissioned artwork, and signs appear on the lampposts with the phrase “1,2,3, Viva l’Algérie!” Even McDonald’s drive-thru windows have signs welcoming Algeria and soccer fans to Lawrence.

The Impact on the Community

Sajedah wanted to find a way to bring her college town and her local Algerian Diaspora together. Thousands of Algerians live in the southern suburbs of the Kansas City metropolitan area, along with Sajedah, her sister, and her mother, Karima. They helped organize the support of the team’s arrival at the airport, through the creation of an Instagram account and Facebook page titled “L’Algerie fi Kansas City”.

Two days after Algeria’s arrival, the account helped organize a gathering at Kanza Market, an Algerian-owned business in Olathe, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, roughly 40 minutes from Lawrence. Hundreds showed up, mostly Algerians from the community.

The Future of the Unlikely Partnership

As Algeria take on Argentina on Tuesday, it will be the minority of support in the stands. Argentinians and Messi fans have descended on Kansas City in the thousands in recent days. And on the field, Algeria will be the underdogs at Kansas City Stadium.

But the events of recent weeks will, without a doubt, mean that a few local attendees will end up pulling for Algeria, the adopted team of Lawrence, Kansas.

“I hope that we can behave in the right way in terms of the way that we conduct ourselves on and off the pitch, that we can certainly give a positive response to absolutely everyone,” said Petković. “But, I hope that we can make it through to the knockout stage and maybe everyone from Kansas can travel with us to another city.”