A cikin garin Lawrence, Kansas — wanda ke da yawan jama'a kusan 100,000 — wani abu mai ban al'ajabi yana faruwa. Algeria ta zaɓi wannan gari a matsayin sansaninta na asali don gasar FIFA World Cup 2026, kuma Lawrence ta amsa da zafin zuciya wanda ya ba ma mazaunan garin mamaki.

"A watan Fabrairu da muka san cewa Algeria za su zo nan, muka fara shirye-shirye don tabbatar da sun san za a maraba da su," in ji Ruth DeWitt, darektan hulɗar jama'a a Explore Lawrence, hukumar yawon shakatawa ta garin. "Lawrence ta shimfiɗa kafet ja ga ƙungiyar ta hanyoyi da yawa."

Garin da ya shirya sosai

Kafin ƙungiyar ta isa, Lawrence ta shirya darussan "Soccer 101" don koyar da mazauna ƙa'idojin ƙwallon ƙafa, tare da zaman koyo game da al'adun Algeria da al'adun magoya baya. Sa'ad da bas na ƙungiyar ya shiga garin a ƙarshe, ɗaruruwan magoya baya sun cika tituna don maraba. Rock Chalk Park ya cika da masu kallo a lokacin horon al'umma, inda 'yan wasan suka yi lokaci tare da yaran garin.

Al'ummomin Aljeriya da ke zaune a jihar Missouri maƙwabciya — kusan mil 40 daga Lawrence — suna tafiya zuwa garin kowace rana da bege ƙamar ganin jarumawan ƙasarsu. Daya daga cikin wadannan magoya baya, Wassini Souarit daga Minneapolis, DeWitt kanta ta karɓe shi a gidanta tsawon lokacin gasar.

"'Yan Algeria sun fuskanci matsaloli da yawa don zuwa nan kuma muka ɗauke su a matsayin ƙungiyarmu ta gida," in ji DeWitt. "Muna goyon bayan USA, amma muna goyon bayan Algeria daidai gwargwado domin muna farin cikin da suka zaɓi Lawrence a matsayin sansaninsu. Haka ne ma'anar gasar World Cup."

Fasaha, abinci, da al'umma

Karɓar Algeria ya wuce tutar kawai — ko da yake tutoci suna ko'ina. Rigar Algeria ta zama gama gari a tituna na Lawrence yayin da ƙungiyar ke shirin gasar farko da masu riƙe da kambun, Argentina, a Kansas City Stadium, gidan Kansas City Chiefs na NFL, ran Talata da karfe 02:00 BST.

Mawakin fasahar ƙasa Stan Herd ya ƙirƙiri kayan ado mai girma na tutar Algeria a filin jami'ar University of Kansas, wanda ake iya ganin sa cikakke daga saman ginin filin jami'ar. An kuma gudanar da taron magoya baya a Union Station, Kansas City.

"Masu gidajen abinci suna dafa abinci halal. Wannan gari yana karɓa da gaske — domin kanmu kamar yadda yake domin baƙinmu," in ji Herd, ɗan shekara 76. "Muna fara son ƙwallon ƙafa fiye da ƙwallon ƙafa na Amurka."

Herd ya yi imani cewa gasar World Cup ta ƙirƙiri alaƙoƙi da za su wuce gasar kanta. "Mutane da yawa, ta hanyar ƙoƙari irin wannan, suna samun manufa gama gari tare da maƙwabtansu da suka wuce shekaru ba tare da sanin juna ba," in ji shi. "Muna ganin wannan a matsayin wata babbar dama ta nuna yadda mutanen Kansas ke maraba da duniya."