KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
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When Ruth DeWitt began planning 2026 FIFA World Cup celebrations with Score Lawrence over a year ago, she knew she would welcome whatever team to Lawrence with open arms, but she didn't know she would open her own home to a visiting fan.
Wassini Souarit, a former sports reporter from Algeria who now lives in Minneapolis, found DeWitt online and reached out to her to ask questions about Lawrence.
The two said they spoke over the phone and texted back and forth for months, and on Thursday, DeWitt picked up Sourit from the airport.
Souarit bought tickets to Algeria's match against Argentina at 8 p.m. Tuesday, and almost booked a stay in Kansas City.
"I said, ‘No, come to Lawrence, that’s where the action is,’ so he’s staying in my house for a few days," DeWitt said.
The two have already made lifelong memories together, like attending team Algeria's community training session at Rock Chalk Park on Thursday.
“I can’t believe I am in Lawrence now," Souarit said. "I am so happy. It’s like one dream became real.”
Souarit took photos with players and spoke on an Algerian broadcast television station.
“I just want to say something — Algerian people smell soccer," Souarit said.
He said the match against Argentina will be difficult, but Algerians trust their team, and so do Lawrencians.
“I keep telling him that they’re going to win," DeWitt said. "Algeria, we are going to win. We are the team’s backers. They have so much love and support here behind them that it’s just going to lift them into Tuesday and they’re going to win, I can just feel it.”
DeWitt said the spirit of the World Cup has brought Americans and Algerians together.
“We have adopted this team," DeWitt said. "You can ask anybody on the street, everyone in Lawrence, their team for this World Cup is Algeria.”
Souarit said he feels at home.
“I’m in Lawrence, but I feel like I’m in Algeria," he said. "You can ask me the question, why? Because it’s like, when I walk I see a lot of Algerian flags everywhere."
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