Algeria coach surprised and delighted by local support ahead of World Cup opener
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Algeria and its team received strong local support in Kansas City and Lawrence.
- Petković said the 500–600 fans at the hotel gave him goosebumps.
- Algeria faces defending champion Argentina in Kansas City in a match both coaches respect.
Algeria fans may be outnumbered when they face Argentina as both teams open their World Cup slate in Kansas City on Tuesday. But don’t be surprised if there are smatterings of green and white all over the stadium, some from afar and others grown in the Kansas City area over a short time.
Algeria fandom took over Lawrence as soon as the team landed in Kansas City more than a week ago. The Lawrence community welcomed the Desert Foxes with open arms, donning Algeria scarves and flags since their arrival.
Hundreds, if not thousands, flooded their hotel and attended the team’s open session for the community on Thursday, where players also signed autographs and kicked the soccer ball around with more than 50 youth players afterward.
On Monday, Algeria coach Vladimir Petković said it was intentional for the team to connect with the locals. They are used to having thousands of fans follow them as the largest nation in Africa. But the welcome they received in Kansas City and Lawrence has taken them all by surprise.
“Seeing (500) to 600 people that first evening, fans that were waiting outside our hotel, it really gave me goosebumps, and it filled me with a source of pride,” Petković said at the news conference. “Then we had that open training session as well, and we saw that there were so many U.S. citizens that had scarves for us. They showed so much support, and they really wanted to celebrate this moment with our team.”
Petković continued: “So I hope that we can behave in the right way, and in terms of the way we conduct ourselves on and off the pitch, that we certainly can give a positive response to absolutely everyone.”
Among the number of fans they’ve gained in the KC metro, Petković could see a world where their love story with the Lawrence locals extends to more fan support throughout the tournament — if they make a run.
After Argentina, they’ll be the “home” team against Austria in their second KC match on June 27.
“I hope from a footballing standpoint as well that we can also make it through to the knockout stage, and then maybe everyone from Kansas can travel with us to another city,” Petković said.
On the other side, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni also had good things to say about Kansas City’s hospitality. And the weather.
“It’s hot today, but we were expecting even more heat during our training,” Scaloni said.
Scaloni played for Petković at Italian club Lazio more than a decade ago.
“The conditions are good, the city has been great to us and the training center is absolutely fantastic,” Scaloni continued. “It’s an amazingly spectacular place, it’s a great venue, and we’re grateful to the population of Kansas City for giving us the opportunity.”
Algeria is one of the strongest teams from the African continent. They are ranked 28th by FIFA and topped their qualifying group with eight wins in 10 qualifier matches.
They’ll be facing defending champion Argentina, who has several stars dealing with injuries, including superstar Lionel Messi in what is likely his final World Cup. Messi has been dealing with a mild hamstring strain for weeks but is expected to play.
Their match will be no David vs. Goliath bout, but an Algeria result would certainly be deemed an upset. Both coaches are aware and alert to all possibilities.
For Algeria, Les Fennecs have nothing to lose.
“Of course we’re not favorites for this match,” Petković said, “but as we’ve seen thus far in the World Cup, there can be upsets, and we will try to do so. We will try to cause one.”
Argentina, meanwhile, will embark on a quest to be the third team to win consecutive tournaments. It’s a monumental feat that hasn’t happened since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
It all begins in KC at Arrowhead Stadium (dubbed Kansas City Stadium for the tournament) at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
“There’s no easy rival,” Scaloni said. “Everybody deserves to be in this World Cup, and we are concerned about Algeria. They have high-quality players. We know it’s going to be a good test. It’s not going to be the definitive test, but it’s going to be a good test.”
