Paris Olympics: With the opening ceremony minutes away, get to know the African flag bearers

The opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics will kick off shortly (Jul. 26).

Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles).

The 33rd Olympiad will officially after the opening ceremony that starts at 7:30 (UTC +2).

All 54 African countries have sent delegations this year.

Get to know the men and women who will carry the flag of their country at this 33rd Olympiad:

The International Olympic Committee decided in 2020 that national delegations would have two flagbearers — one male, one female — at the opening ceremony at an Olympics, a move to promote parity.

Not all countries have complied by this rule so far.

Names are written in this order: Male ; Female athletes

U = Unannounced

Algeria – ALG

Yasser Triki (Athletics) ; Amina Belhadi (Judo)

Angola – ANG

Azenaide Carlos (handball)

Benin – BEN

Valentin Houinato (judo) ; Noélie Yarigo (athlétisme)

Botswana - BOT

U

Burkina Faso – BUR

Hugues Fabrice Zango (Athletics) ; Marthe Koala (Athletics)

READ MORE: Paris Olympics: Fanzone celebrates African cultures and athletes

Burundi – BDI

Belly Crésus Ganira (Swimming) ; Ange Ciella Niragira (Judo)

Cameroon - CMR

U

Cabo Verde – CPV

Daniel Varela de Pina (Boxing) ; Djamila Correia Silva (Judo)

Central African Republic – CAF

Nadia Guimendego  (judo) 

Chad - CHA

U

Comoros - COM

U

(The) Congo – CGO

(F) Natacha Ngoye Akamabi (Athletics)

Democratic Republic of the Congo – COD

Arnold Kisoka (Judo)

Côte d’Ivoire – CIV

Cheick Sallah Cissé (taekwondo) ; Marie-Josée Ta Lou (Athletics)

Djibouti - DJI

U

Egypt – EGY

Ahmed El-Gendy (Modern pentathlon) ; Sara (Ahmed) Samir (weightlifting)

Eritrea - ERI

U

Eswatini – SWZ

Chadd Ning (Swimming) Hayley Hoy (swimming)

Ethiopia - ETH

U

Gabon - GAB

U

Gambia – GAM

Faye Njie (Judo) Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye (Athletics)

Ghana – GHA

(M) Joseph Amoah (athlétisme)

Guinea – GUI

(M) Naby Keïta (Football)

Guinea-Bissau - GBS

U

Equatorial Guinea - GEQ

U

Kenya – KEN

Ferdinand Omanyala (Athletics)  ; Trizah Atuka (Volleyball)

Lesotho – LES

Tebello Ramakongoana (Athletics) ; Michelle Tau (taekwondo)

Liberia – LBR

Emmanuel Matadi (Athletics) and Olympic debutant Thelma Davies (Athletics).

All the more reasons to celebrate, the country marks this Friday the 177th anniversary of its declaration of independence.

Libya - LBA

U

Madagascar – MAD

Rosinah Randafiarison (Weightlifting)

Malawi - MAW

U

Mali – MLI

Alexien Kouma (Swimming) ; Fatma Marine Kamara (Boxing)

Morocco – MAR

Yessin Rahmouni (Equestrian) ;  Ines Laklalech (Golf)

Mauritius - MRI

Jean Gael Laurent L'Entete (Cycling) Aurelie Halbwachs (Athletics)

Mauritania – MTN

Camil Doua (Swimming)

Mozambique – MOZ

Matthew Lawrence (Swimming) -  Alcinda Panguana (Boxing)

Namibia – NAM

Alex Miller (Cycling) ; Vera Looser (Cycling)

Niger - NIG

Abdoul Issoufou (Taekwondo) ; Samira Awali Boubacar (Athletics)

Nigeria – NGR

(F) Tobi Amusan, the nation's queen of track is the World Record holder in the 100m Women's Hurdles.

Uganda – UGA

Charles Kagimu (Cycling) ; Gloria Muzito (Swimming)

Rwanda - RWA

Eric Manizabayo (Cycling) ; Clementine Mukandanga (Athletics)

Sao Tome and Principe - STP

Senegal - SEN

Louis François Mendy (Athletics); Combe Seck (Canoe)

Seychelles - SEY

Dylan Sicobo (Athletics) ; Khema Elizabeth (Swimming)

Sierra Leone – SLE

Somalia - SOM

(M) Ali Idow Hassan (Atletics)

South Africa – RSA

Akani Simbine (Athletics) ; Caitlin Rooskrantz (Gymnastics)

South Sudan - SSD

Kuany Kuany (Basketball) ; Lucia Moris (Athletics)

Sudan - SUD

United Republic of Tanzania - TAN

Andrew Tjomas Mlugu (Judo) ; Shophia Latiff (Swimming)

Togo - TOG

Eloi Adjavon (Triathlon) ; Naomi Akakpo (Athletics)

Tunisia – TUN

Salim Jemaï (Canoe) ; Khadija Krimi (Rowing)

Zambia – ZAM

Muzala Samukonga (Athletics) ; Margret Tembo (Boxing)

Zimbabwe - ZIM

Makanakaise Charamba (Athletics) ; Paige Van Der Westhuizen (Swimming)

Approximately 10,500 athletes will compete across 32 sports in 329 events at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad Paris 2024 from 26 July to 11 August.

Who is performing at the opening ceremony?

In addition to the athletes who will participate in the parade, 3,000 dancers, artists and other athletes will be featured in the opening and closing ceremonies. Most of the entertainment acts remain under wraps. It was reported that French-Malian star Aya Nakamura, Celine Dion and Lady Gaga are among those who will perform at the opening ceremony.