In football, the defending champions Nigeria and the current African champions, Cameroon, have very real chances of winning medals.
The athletics track has traditionally been the source of most of the African continent's medal successes at the Olympic Games, with the men ruling supreme in every distance from the 800m upwards.
The Sydney Olympics should be no different with superstars like Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie (10,000m), Morocco's Hicham El Garrouj (1500m), Kenya's Daniel Komen (5000m) and the Kenyan 3000m steeplechasers virtually assured of gold.
While the organisers will no doubt be preparing the flags and national anthems of a few African countries for the medal ceremonies at the athletics track, they should also start thinking about other disciplines - as the African contingent seeks to launch its strongest medal assault yet in the 104-year history of the modern Games.
In football, the defending champions Nigeria and the current African champions, Cameroon, have very real chances of winning medals.
After their stunning success at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the talented Nigerians return with the same victorious coach, Dutchman Jo Bonfrere at the helm.
The availability of key players such as Arsenal's Nwankwo Kanu and Celestine Babayaro of Chelsea will be crucial to their chances of retaining their title.
In addition, teenage striker Julius Aghahowa could also catapult himself into the international spotlight if he reproduces his stunning form he showed at the African Cup of Nations tournament in January.
Cameroon threat
Besides the ever-dangerous Brazilians, Nigeria's biggest threat should come from Cameroon, who have top quality players in Samuel Eto'o Filis, Geremi Njitap and midfielder Lauren who recently signed for Arsenal.
So confident are African football observers of success in Sydney that many are going as far as predicting a repeat of this year's African Cup of Nations final when Cameroon edged out Nigeria on penalties.
In the women's football event the Nigerian women's team have an outside chance of scooping a medal.
The Falcons lost narrowly to Brazil in the quarter finals of last year's World Cup in the United States, but with the nucleus of the squad having been together for the past few years, they could spring a surprise.
After winning two golds and a bronze medal in the swimming pool in Atlanta four years ago, the South Africans will be setting their sights even higher in Sydney.
The challenge will be led by multiple world breaststroke record holder Penny Heyns who looks a good bet to successfully defend her 100m and 200m Olympic breaststroke titles.
The American-based 25-year old champion faces strong competition in the 100m event from her 17-year old teammate Sarah Poewe who overcame a major psychological barrier when she beat Heyns for the first time ever at a meeting in Durban in June.
The South African men's swimmers also have a good chance of threatening the expected Australian dominance in the swimming pool.
Brendon Dedekind and Roland Schoeman are definite medal hopes in the men's 50m freestyle event while Ryk Neethling has shown over the past year that he's ready to take up the challenge in the 1500m event.
Broad range of talent
In tennis, the erratic Wayne Ferreira is always in with a chance if he plays to his full potential. In Atlanta Ferreira bombed out in the quarter final to eventual winner Andre Agassi, but if the draw is favourable , the freckle faced Ferreira may just spring a surprise.
If Hestrie Storbeck-Cloete, the current Commonwealth women's high jump champion can maintain the excellent form of her European campaign which has seen her claim the number one ranking in the world, she will be assured of a medal placing.
Llewellyn Herbert who won silver at the World Championships in Seville in 1997, is doing well enough in his buildup in Europe to suggest he should win a medal while the 4x400m relay comprising Herbert, Hendrik Mokganyetsi, Marcus le Grange and Arnaud Malherbe are also favoured to be among the medals.
The Africans will be hoping to atone for their disappointing showing at the 1996 Olympics. Nigeria and Ghana have traditionally been the powerhouses of African boxing with the Nigerians having won at least one medal in the ring since 1984.
Ghana's Raymond Narh, who won gold in the lightweight division at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, is a classy boxer who is strongly tipped to have a medal put around his neck.
The African challenge at Sydney is bound to be a strong one. With the athletes sure to attract most of the attention, those participating in the other sports will be determined to emerge from the shadows with top class, medal-winning performances.
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