The success of the tournament has led to South Africa launching a bid for the 2020 Olympics and Diack wants them to also consider hosting the World Championships.

The Senegalese said: "At first, many believed that the World Cup would not take place.

"But what South Africa did proved them wrong."

Africa has hosted the World Cross Country Championships at Marrakech in 1998 and Mombassa in 2007 and the World Cup in Johannesburg in 1998 but never the sport's flagship event.

Diack said: "Morocco put in their bid for 2013 but afterwards pulled out.

"South Africa has proved to the world that we are ready and what we are waiting for is a city to bid for the hosting rights."
 
The earliest Africa could stage the event would be in 2017.

Daegu in South Korea is due to host 2011 and Moscow 2013 while London and Beijing are bidding for 2015.

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