He set a personal best for the 10,000 m in May, running a time of 27:02.62 minutes, and came eighth in the event final at that year's World Championships. He scored another track career best at the Memorial van Damme in August with a time of 12:50.25 minutes for the 5000 m – a mark which ranked him eleventh on the all-time lists behind Hicham El Guerrouj. However, this form did not translate to the 3000 m, which he ran at the 2005 IAAF World Athletics Final and managed only tenth overall. The 2005 Jeux de la Francophonie was his year-ending competition and he opted for the 10,000 m, securing a silver behind the Rwandan Dieudonné Disi.