COCANEFA

COCANEFA stands for 'The Confederation Of Calanian And North-Eastern Football Associations, and was founded by the national football associations of Mertagne (then known as The Inevitable Syndicate) and Audioslavia before UICA Season 51, shortly after the two associations co-hosted World Cup 66.

COCANEFA still acts as an umbrella organisation for its constituent football associations, but since the dissolution of the LigAnaia its influence over modern club football has greatly diminished.

History and Inception[edit]

The Glorious North East was a phrase used to describe a newfound north-eastern identity around the time of World Cup 63, and was a moniker given to nations from the northern Calania, including The Inevitable Syndicate, Starblaydia, Krytenia and Legalese, and its northern and eastern islands, including Osarius, Audioslavia, Wight (in the territory now occupied by Chromatika and Cosumar. While domestic football in Atlantian Oceania had typically been dominated by clubs from nations outwith the continent's North-Eastern quadrant, with Vanorian, Paripanian and Vilitan clubs having the most continued success, the idea of any kind of intra-regional identity hadn't previously entered popular culture.

The creation of a north-eastern identity is directly responsible for the popularization of the idea of the Glorious South West in retaliation.

Negotiations between Audioslavia and Mertagne for a multi-associational 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 working title Liga Batiob due to advertising reasons, was eventually called the 'LigAnaia' and the first season began before World Cup 67.

LigAnaia Era[edit]

Seasons 1-2[edit]

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 - and the sheer amount of money that entered Audioslavian club football - 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[edit]

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 four saw the arrival of clubs from Legalese as the LigAnaia expanded yet again. Season 3 would see The Inevitable Syndicate become The Calanian Union, with Fligsive FC marking the occasion by winning the first and only championship win by a Calanion club. 1830 Cathair would win their second title in season four.

Seasons 5-8[edit]

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[edit]

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, seperate 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 UICA Champions Cup. There were AOCL titles for Magnaeus City and Fligsive FC and more intercontinental honours in the form of Cathair's UICA Super Cup and Cygnus Cup.

End of the LigAnaia Era[edit]

Increased costs, awkward bureaucracy and an increased desire for a return to national league football from its constituent members were factors in the LigAnaia closing its doors after season fourteen. Plans to maintain or revive the CopAnaia as an unseeded knockout between clubs representing COCANEFA's main associations have been mooted often, with no action yet having been taken.