FIFA president 'Sepp' Blatter has handed over the World Cup trophy to South Africa's Vice President Kgalema Motlanthe, exactly a week before the tournament gets underway.

the Vice President was acting in place of president Jacob Zuma. He took charge of the trophy on the steps of the Union Buildings in the capital Pretoria.

Blatter introduced a revolving policy that sees the tournament hosted in different continents on a successive basis.

Motlanthe says Africa's first World Cup marks a significant turning point and also went on the record predicting that an African team would lift the trophy and it would be "the first time the trophy remains on the continent."