Dzidefo Afram: PRESEC’s NSMQ Coordinator Opens Up on Winning Formula After Ninth Trophy
- PRESEC Legon's NSMQ coordinator delivered a speech that went viral after the school's 2026 Grand Finale victory
- Afram guided the Blue Magicians to their ninth national NSMQ title, defeating two giant schools in the final
- The veteran coordinator shared that the team went back two years to identify what was missing, and found it
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Dzidefo Afram, the National Science and Maths Quiz coordinator for PRESEC Legon, has become the talk of Ghana's academic community after a post-victory speech delivered to returning students went viral online.
Source: UGC
The moment came after the Blue Magicians defeated St Augustine's College and Accra Academy in the 2026 NSMQ Grand Finale, securing the school's ninth national title and extending their record as the most successful school in the competition's history.
Speaking to a jubilant crowd welcoming the team back, Afram was composed but precise.
"Everyone did their best. The students did an excellent job, because we know we have the winning formula, because we went back and looked at the past two years and found what was missing. And we found it. And we are rest assured that the years before us are very bright," he said.
The coordinator behind PRESEC's dominance
The speech encapsulated an approach that has defined Afram's 22-year relationship with the competition. He first joined the PRESEC NSMQ setup in 2004 as a physics teacher and has since been part of 11 Grand Finals, a record in itself.
His seven titles as coordinator came in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2020, 2022, 2023 and now 2026, making him the first coordinator in NSMQ history to reach that milestone.
Before his arrival, PRESEC had lifted the trophy twice, in 1995 and 2003. Every other victory the school has celebrated belongs to Afram's era.
The Facebook post below captures PRESEC’s NSMQ coordinator, Dzidefo Afram, delivering his speech after the school’s ninth trophy triumph.
PRESEC: A record that spans generations
His journey has not been without its detours. In 2018, Afram briefly moved to West African Senior High School, where he helped the school reach its first-ever NSMQ Grand Final.
That contest ended in a narrow 45-44 defeat to St Peter's Senior High School, just one point short of glory.
He returned to PRESEC and built one of the most consistent runs in the competition's history: five consecutive Grand Finals between 2019 and 2023, yielding three trophies.
He has also led the school to five straight Greater Accra Regional Championships from 2020 to 2024.
The Bishop Herman College alumnus has drawn comparisons to legendary football manager Carlo Ancelotti from admirers who note his rare ability to win across different generations of contestants. The "Ancelotti of NSMQ" nickname has gained traction among students, old boys and quiz followers alike.
With nine trophies in the cabinet and Afram's formula clearly working, PRESEC's future in the competition looks as bright as their coordinator promised.
Profiles of 3 Accra Academy NSMQ finalists
Earlier, YEN.com.gh highlighted facts about the three Accra Academy contestants who took part in the 2026 NSMQ Grand Finale.
The “Bl3oo” team reached the final for the first time and was determined to make history by winning the school’s maiden national title.
Their journey took them from repeated quarter-final setbacks to a high-stakes clash with two multi-title holders, St Augustine’s College and PRESEC-Legon.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
