COCANEFA

COCANEFA, or in full, the Confederation Of Calanian And North-Eastern Football Associations, was founded by the national football associations of Mertagne (then known as The Inevitable Syndicate) and Audioslavia in 2209, shortly after World Cup 66.

The COCANEFA LigAnaia is the oldest and most well-known COCANEFA competition, and ran – in various forms – for fourteen years, before being dissolved after World Cup 75. In addition to LigAnaia, COCANEFA also organised the Repechage 49 (most commonly referred to as R49), which acted as a second division for both LigAnaia top flight divisions, as well as the COCANEFA Liga Calania and COCANEFA Cup – previously known as the CopAnaia; a knockout cup competition open to any and all teams from within the confederation's member nations.

Upon dissolution of the LigAnaia, member nations reverted to operating national leagues, which still function under the COCANEFA umbrella. It has been suggested that COCANEFA may reinstate the COCANEFA Cup in another format in the coming years, though nothing has yet been confirmed.

History

Inception and the North Eastern identity

Domestic football in Atlantian Oceania had typically been dominated by clubs from nations outwith the continent's North-Eastern quadrant, with Vanoran, Paripanian and Vilitan clubs having the most continued success. This hadn't been seen as a thing worth commenting on until the idea of the 'Glorious North East', a moniker given to nations from northern Calania, including The Inevitable Syndicate, Starblaydia, Krytenia and Legalese, and its eastern islands, including Osarius, Audioslavia, Wight and Cosumar, during periods of success for the above nations between World Cups 63 and 70.

Negotiations for a joint league began around the time of World Cup 65, at the same time as the football associations of Audioslavia and The Inevitable Syndicate had been negotiating a deal to co-host World Cup 66. The combined league, originally given the title 'Liga Batiob' due to advertising reasons, was dubbed the 'LigAnaia' – Anaia meaning "brothers" – and the first season began before World Cup 67.

Seasons 1-2

Sixteen teams were elected to the first LigAnaia for season one. Eight came from the professional Syndicatian leagues, formerly the Claycomms Premier League, while six amateur Audioslavian clubs, formerly from the little-known Corinthian League, joined the fray.

The switch to professionalism for Audioslavian clubs resulted in success in these first two seasons, as first AC Izotz Zubia and then 1830 Cathair took home league championships, but neither these champions nor their Syndicatian rivals managed more than a couple of games in the UICA tournaments, belying the league's weaknesses in terms of talent.

Seasons 3-4

A Second Division, dubbed the LigAnaia Two, was founded for season three, and with it came another change, in that a number of Starblaydi clubs joined the league. Starblaydia had provided a number of World Champion clubs in ancient times, but had not been seen on the international scene in the years preceding season three. Season 3 would also see The Inevitable Syndicate become The Calanian Union, with Fligsive FC marking the occasion by winning the first and, to date, only championship win by a Calanian club.

Season four saw the arrival of clubs from Legalese as the LigAnaia expanded yet again. 1830 Cathair would win their second title this year, underlining the early Audioslavian dominance of the LigAnaia.

Seasons 5-8

Further seasons saw further expansion, as teams representing Ibex, Western Sunrise and Perlasilangan were added, but it was the influx of Osarian clubs that truly saw the LigAnaia progress from a regional sideshow to an international success in terms of popularity and viewing figures. A third and fourth league title for 1830 Cathair and a first championship for Hastmead Diamante would set the tone for the two teams' domination in later seasons.

Seasons 9-14

After initially slimming down by losing the West Sunrisian and Perlasilanganese clubs, the league expanded yet again by accepting clubs from Krytenia, The Royal Kingdom of Quebec and Semarland and split into first two, and then three, separate leagues — The LigAnaia: East (Audioslavia, Osarius, Legalese), The LigAnaia: North (Semarland, Royal Kingdom of Quebec and Mertagne) and the Liga Calania (Starblaydia and Krytenia). Cosumar's entrance into COCANEFA for season 12 increased this league count to four, with the rebranding of the Harlighet Ligan to the COCANEFA Harlighet Ligan.

The period would see LigAnaia gain its first World Champion club as 1830 Cathair won the Champions Cup. There were AOCL titles for Magnaeus City – since rebranded 'Blades ex Magnaeus' after moving from the stricken Calanian Union to Mertagne – and Fligsive FC, and more intercontinental honours in the form of Cathair's UICA Super Cup and Cygnus Cup.

Season 14 would be the final installment of the LigAnaia, after league executives voted in favour of dissolving the multinational top flight in order to allow member nations to focus on internal development.

LigAnaia history

As the LigAnaia has changed in size throughout its existence, the structure of the league pyramid has also changed. From an original configuration of one league of sixteen teams from two nations, to a multi-divisional top flight spanning six nations, these changes have necessitated alterations to the competition format over time. These changes have most notably impacted the confederation's top flight.

One league format

Between seasons one and eight, the LigAnaia (or LigAnaia One) was the single, highest tier of COCANEFA football.

Season	Divisions	Teams (tier one)	Teams (total)	Champions	Runners Up	Third
1	1	16	16	AC Izotz Zubia	Burgess FC	Nostromo Meteorites
2	1	16	16	1830 Cathair	Fligsive FC	Burgess FC
3	2	20	40	Fligsive FC	1830 Cathair	Westonbirt City
4	2	24	48	1830 Cathair	Fligsive FC	Comunas Cougars
5	4	22	90	AC Izotz Zubia	Fligsive FC	Magnaeus City
6	4	22	90	1830 Cathair	AC Izotz Zubia	Hastmead Diamante
7	4	22	90	Hastmead Diamante	Iskara Daii	1830 Cathair
8	4	22	90	1830 Cathair	Magnaeus City	Comunas Cougars

Multiple region format

After five seasons running one top tier and multiple regional tiers below, the LigAnaia pyramid was inverted at the start of season nine. One larger second division now feeds into two top tiers; one in the north and one in the east. The Liga Calania (also referred to as the Liga CalAnaia) was also restarted in season eleven, and is contested between Krytenian and Starblaydi clubs, separate from the LigAnaia pyramid, but still under the COCANEFA umbrella.

Under the multiple region format, the champions of the Eastern and Northern leagues play one another on neutral territory in a Grand Final matchup to decide the COCANEFA League Championship. It is notable that, under the multiple regions format, no LigAnaia North champion won a grand final.

Season	Leagues	Teams (tier one)	Teams (total)	COCANEFA Champions	LigAnaia East Champions	LigAnaia North Champions
9	3	40	89	Hastmead Diamante	Hastmead Diamante	Montreal Koreana
10	3	40	89	Hastmead Diamante	Hastmead Diamante	Ousevale Borough
11	3	40	89	1830 Cathair	1830 Cathair	FC Jansberg
12	3	40	89	Monarchs	Monarchs	St. John's Arsenal
13	3	40	89	AC Izotz Zubia	AC Izotz Zubia	St. John's Arsenal
14	3	40	89	Hastmead Diamante	Hastmead Diamante	Blades ex Magnaeus

Honours

Before the split into multiple regions, the winners of the LigAnaia was considered COCANEFA Champion. Since the split, COCANEFA awards the LigAnaia Championship trophy to the team that wins the Grand Final matchup. As the Liga Calania is deemed separate from the LigAnaia pyramid, no Krytenian or Starblaydi teams play in the R49. Similarly, no Cosumarite teams play in the LigAnaia or R49 either, as the Harlighet Ligan and subsequent tiers below it are also considered separate leagues to the LigAnaia.

The following clubs have won the LigAnaia:

Team	Number of titles	Seasons
1830 Cathair	5	2, 4, 6, 8, 11
Hastmead Diamante	4	7, 9, 10, 14
AC Izotz Zubia	3	1, 5, 13
Fligsive FC	1	3
Monarchs	1	12

National Champions

See also: List of COCANEFA national champions

Each season, the highest finishing team of each nation is given the title 'national champion', along with a trophy. This is also relevant when submitting COCANEFA entries to UICA competition, as national champions take a different path in the UICA Champions Cup to other entrants. Upon winning the league, the LigAnaia champions will ordinarily be presented with their national championship trophy prior to being presented with the LigAnaia Championship trophy.

The final national champions (season 14) can be seen below:

Mertian champion	Blades ex Magnaeus
Audioslavian champion	1830 Cathair
Starblaydi champion	Telecontarë
Legalite champion	International of Tyrellia
Osarian champion	Hastmead Diamante
Krytenian champion	Avidia United
Quebecois champion	St. John's Arsenal
Semar champion	FC Jansberg
Schiavone champion	Monarchs

COCANEFA Cup winners

The COCANEFA Cup (previously known as the CopAnaia) is a knockout tournament open to all clubs, professional and amateur, from COCANEFA's constituent nations. The cup was first contested in seasons three and four, but was then scrapped in favour of national cup tournaments for each nation. The cup was reinstated in season eight, and national cups scrapped. As of season twelve, 367 teams enter the COCANEFA Cup across all nine nations of the confederation. To date, no club has won the COCANEFA Cup more than once.

Season	Winner
1	Not contested
2
3	Oljestaden IF
4	Tyrellia Titans
5	Not contested
6
7
8	Comunas Cougars
9	Avidia United
10	1830 Cathair
11	Blades ex Magnaeus
12	AC Holmenkollen
13	Trothwands Evolution
14	Iskara Daii

National Cup winners

Between seasons four and six, COCANEFA ran separate national cup competitions for each member nation. These cups were later scrapped and the COCANEFA Cup reinstated as the sole COCANEFA-operated cup competition for member association clubs.

The winners of each nation's national cup are listed below:

Cup Name	Season 4	Season 5	Season 6
Syndicatian Cup	Burgess FC	Burgess FC	Westonbirt City
Audioslavian Cup	AC Izotz Zubia	KT Itzalovalle	AC Izotz Zubia
Copa Starblaydia	Corinthian Spirits	Iskara Daii	Iskara Daii
Federation Open Cup	Tyrellia Titans	Knights of Tiberia	International of Tyrellia
Osarian Cup	N/A	Hastmead Diamante	Shanak FC
Ibex Cup	N/A	Tall	Batal
Perlasilanganese Cup	N/A	UD Lopez	Atletico Gonzales

International honours

Iskara Daii are former winners of the NS Champions League (the precursor to the UICA Champions Cup), while Krytenia's Royal Emberton and Osarian club Firewood City are former Champions Cup winners. Grasshoppers Turic, Avidia United and Casuals Osteria are all former Globe Cup winners, and Osarian club Kyoshiku Island have won the UICA Series B Champions Cup. In addition, Firewood City have lifted the Cygnus Cup. However, none of these triumphs came while the teams competed under the COCANEFA banner.

Of note is the dominance of COCANEFA clubs – specifically Mertian clubs – in the Atlantian Oceania Champions League. Between UICA seasons 59 and 63, every AOCL winner was a Mertian club, including three back-to-back triumphs for Fligsive FC, before Raynor City United broke the streak in UICA season 64. It should, however, be noted that the losing finalist that year was a COCANEFA team (Trothwands Evolution), as was the losing finalist the following year (Blades ex Magnaeus).

Below is a list of COCANEFA teams who have won international competitions:
(Note: The season number refers to the relevant UICA cycle)

Club	UICA honours	Other international honours
1830 Cathair	Champions Cup (season 59) Super Cup (season 59) Youth Cup (season 64)	Cygnus Cup (season 62)
Blades ex Magnaeus	Globe Cup (season 62) Youth Cup (season 63)	AOCL (seasons 59, 60)
AC Izotz Zubia	Champions Cup (season 63)
FC Southern Ninestar	SBCC (season 57)
Tenth Star Hasiera	SBCC (season 59)
KT Koroatuz	SBCC (season 63)
Fligsive FC		AOCL (seasons 61, 62, 63)

In addition to trophies won, two teams from COCANEFA nations have been rated as the best club side in the multiverse according to UICA coefficients. 1830 Cathair ranked number one after season 59, and Blades ex Magnaeus after seasons 60 and 64.

References

• ^  Now known as Blades ex Magnaeus
• ^  Formerly known as Magnaeus City
• ^  Now known as FC Ninestar