Mfantsipim School’s bid for a third consecutive National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) title will face a major test on Monday, 31 August, when the defending champions take on Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School (PRESEC), Legon, in the quarterfinals of the 2026 competition.
The contest, scheduled for 5:30 p.m., will also feature Bompata Senior High School, with the three schools competing for a place in the semi-finals.
For Mfantsipim, the contest comes with the possibility of making NSMQ history.
The school won the competition in 2024 and 2025 and is now seeking a third successive title, a feat achieved only by PRESEC in the history of the competition.
PRESEC, however, will be looking to prevent Mfantsipim from matching their record.
The two schools have developed one of the competition’s most notable rivalries, having faced each other three times in recent years with Mfantsipim winning twice and PRESEC once.
Their first encounter came in the 2018 quarterfinals, where Mfantsipim finished ahead with 50 points, while PRESEC recorded 34 points.
The schools met again in the 2023 semi-finals alongside Keta Senior High School. PRESEC reversed the earlier result, securing a 44–34 victory to advance to the final.
In 2024, they were drawn together once more, this time alongside Osei Tutu Senior High School. Mfantsipim edged PRESEC 56–53 in another closely contested contest.
Their latest meeting therefore comes with a significant amount at stake, particularly for Mfantsipim, who are also celebrating their 150th anniversary this year.
Speaking to Univers News, President of MOBA-GEYHEY UCC Chapter, Ebenezer Aidoo, acknowledged the strength of the PRESEC team but expressed confidence in Mfantsipim’s chances.
“I know Presec are coming with their A-game, but as long as we trust in God, I know for sure that we are winning this competition,” he noted.
He said retaining the NSMQ title would provide a fitting celebration of the school’s 150th anniversary.
“If we don’t win, it is going to be painful and it is going to affect us because we want to take this win to celebrate our 150th anniversary,” he added.
PRESEC, meanwhile, are also confident of their prospects.
Meanwhile, President of PREGISS, UCC Chapter, Stephen Badu, also noted that the team is well prepared and is approaching the contest with victory as its objective.
“We are really prepared for this contest. I’m very much convinced that our boys are winning this contest because we are so prepared. We are not taking anything apart from winning.”
PRESEC has won the NSMQ championship eight times, including back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009, and again in 2022 and 2023.
A victory in this year’s competition would take their tally to nine titles, further extending their record.
For Mfantsipim, however, the immediate task is to navigate the quarterfinals and keep their pursuit of a third consecutive championship alive.
With Bompata SHS also in the contest, both schools will need to secure one of the available places in the semi-finals before turning their attention to the later stages of the competition.
The outcome of the contest could therefore determine whether Mfantsipim’s pursuit of a historic third straight title continues or whether PRESEC’s challenge brings that ambition to an early end.
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Story by Theophilus Asante | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
