CascadiaNow! is excited to be partnering with the Cascadia Association Football Federation to help field a Cascadia Regional Team at the CONIFA World Cup in 2018. If you are interested in being involved, please email CAFF coordinator Aaron Johnson directly at aaronmartinj@gmail.com.
- If you would like to support the Cascadia Association Football Federation you can donate for their trip here.
- Learn more on our project page or support their facebook page here.
- If you would like to help with website, social media, outreach, be the on the leadership team or have inquiries regarding partnership, players, coaches etc. please email CAFF coordinator Aaron Johnson directly at aaronmartinj@gmail.com
For those not aware, CONIFA is the international football confederation for teams not part of FIFA. Its members include states, partially-recognised states, regions, minority groups and sports-isolated territories. CONIFA is strictly politically neutral, and is run by volunteers. The 2018 World Football Cup will bring together a diverse collection of CONIFA members from around the world. Participation was determined based on qualification games/tournaments, regional qualification spots and two wild cards.
CascadiaNow! and CAFF would like to thank Kelly Dews, Looptworks and all involved throughout Cascadia for bringing the new shirt to reality.
CONIFA Qualified Teams are:
- Africa: Barawa; Matabeleland; Kabylia
- Asia: Tibet; Tamil Eelam; United Koreans of Japan; Panjab
- Europe: Abkhazia; Padania; Northern Cyprus; Western Armenia; Ellan Vannin; Felvidek; Székely Land
- North America: Cascadia
- Oceania: Kiribati
- Barawa, a region of Somalia, qualified for the tournament as host – the Barawa Football Association is based in London and consists of Barawan diaspora. Tibet, whose honorary president is his Holiness the Dalai Lama, received a wildcard, as did Western Armenia.
- Abkhazia qualified as reigning world champions after they beat Panjab in a thrilling penalty shoot-out finale at the 2016 World Football Cup. Padania qualified as European champions after winning the European Football Cup in Northern Cyprus earlier this year, while Tamil Eelam earned their spot by winning the Challenge Cup.
- The participation of Kiribati will raise awareness about the existential threat climate change poses to their low-lying Pacific homeland. CONIFA has been actively involved in football development in Kiribati since it joined as a member in May 2016.
The official draw for the 2018 CONIFA World Football Cup will take place in London later this year. The draw will also coincide with an announcement regarding the tournament’s major sponsor.
These jerseys were been organized completely by Cascadia football supporters in Vancouver BC, Seattle, and Portland (as well as elsewhere), and coordinated through the Cascadia Trifecta Facebook group.
Kits are produced by Looptworks from Portland using upcycled material.
You can find the Cascadia Association Football Federation page here. A HUGE thank you to all the Cascadia football supporters no matter your club or supporters group. It was discussion between all of us on the Cascadia Trifecta Page that led to the first kit and helped inspire the creation of the CAFF. If it wasn't for all of you this would not be taking place.