Will the former World 10,000m record holder be okay for Sunday ? "We hope so ... he’s running," said Daouda, who did not wish to speculate about the chances of Hissou or Zohra Ouaziz who will be a big threat in the women’s short race.

"I never think about this," he said. "The most important thing is the preparation of the athletes. After that, it’s up to the athletes to run well. We’ve had very good preparation," he added, confirming that even the Moroccan athletes based outside Morocco had been training with the national squad.

Daouda played down the rivalry between the Kenyan and Moroccan men’s teams, who have been first and second at the last four championships.

"When we asked to host the championships, we did not think about this," he said. "The success of the championships are more important than our results."

"Now with only six to run and four to score, it will be more exciting," he said, referring to the new format of the championships with the extra races and smaller teams. "The races will be more open. I think we will see more Europeans in the top 10."

Regarding the current warm weather (27¡C at midday), Daouda explained: "it can change very quickly. Five days ago it was snowing in the mountains." Indeed, the previously wet and cold conditions this winter in Marrakech had caused problems for the course builders.

One of the biggest ever crowds for an IAAF World Cross Country Championships can be expected this weekend. Daouda is hoping for as many as 100,000.