KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
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The University of Kansas marching band welcomed Algeria to town on Thursday by playing a familiar tune — the country's national anthem.
Team Algeria has set up its 2026 FIFA World Cup base camp in Lawrence. Players are staying at the DoubleTree by Hilton and are training at Rock Chalk Park.
BEHIND THE SCENES | Rock Chalk Park is potential World Cup training site
“It was one of the easiest ways to use our talents to show respect for them and make them feel welcome," said Sharon Toulouse, director of athletic bands at KU.
Lawrence has welcomed the team and its fans with open arms since players arrived on June 7. KU students, who are an integral part of the town's international community, showcased their hospitality at Rock Chalk Park.
“It was super cool at Rock Chalk Park seeing all the people wearing Lawrence and KU gear with the Algeria scarves," said KU student Hannah Platt. "I was like, I don’t know who is actually from here and not.”
Just like the university's fight song, KU student Gizelle Balli said she wanted to perform Algeria's national anthem — "Quassaman" — correctly.
“We kind of felt a lot of pressure, because if someone messes up our national anthem, we notice, we know when that happens," she said. "We felt like, we have to get this right.”
RELATED | Lawrence resident welcomes Algerian fan into her home
Algeria soccer fan Omar Morsley made the road trip from Canada to Lawrence on Sunday.
"Lawrence is the lovely people," he said. "It was a nice welcoming.”
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