Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki Thursday officially received the Coca-cola and Fifa World Cup Trophy after it arrived in the country.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, sponsored by Coca-Cola, is an epic journey that commenced in Egypt about two months ago.

Speaking after unveiling and receiving the trophy at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, Kibaki said the arrival of the trophy was a historic moment and heralded great things to come in the promotion and development of sports in the country.

The President urged young and upcoming football stars and the national team, Harambee Stars, to dream big so that Kenya could take its rightful place as a great soccer nation.

Kibaki disclosed that his government had formed a committee to work on the modalities of inviting teams which have qualified for the FIFA World Cup to train in Kenya, before going to South Africa.

The President pointed out that Kenya, which had an excellent communication network, was easy to access from any part of the world and was only a few hours away from South Africa by air. "I encourage teams qualifying for the World Cup to take advantage of Kenya's strategic location, excellent climate, sports facilities of international standards, hospitality as well as great tourism sites, and train in the country on their way to the World Cup," President Kibaki said.

He said the 2010 World Cup tournament, being held for the first time in Africa, provided Kenya with an opportunity to benefit from the large number of teams and fans taking part in the competition.

Kibaki said the Trophy Tour, which will cover 53 African countries during a 70-day trip, would allow thousands of fans to enjoy a rare close-up view of the FIFA World Cup trophy.

"In particular, I note that the Trophy will spend three days in our beautiful country. This is a clear demonstration of the confidence that Coca-Cola and FIFA have in the Government and the people of Kenya, given the fact that the trophy has only spent one or two days in other countries," the President said.

Speaking during the same occasion, Prime Minister Raila Odinga thanked Coca Cola for sponsoring the trophy tour to Kenya, a gesture which enabled sports fraternity the rare opportunity to view and interact with the symbol of world football supremacy.

Raila appealed to the soft drinks company to consider extending sponsorship to local soccer clubs to enable them advance the standard of football in the country. He congratulated South Africa for qualifying to host the 2010 World Cup and wished success to African representatives.

The trophy, on a 70-day tour of 52 African nations, will end in South Africa on 3 December where next year, 32 countries will compete for the FIFA World Cup. Football fans will also have a chance to see the trophy at the Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi, on Saturday and take a souvenir photo.