Aké Arnaud Loba is the East Bengal centre-forward whose two first-half goals have put the defending Indian Super League champions 4-1 ahead of Inter Kashi at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, on Friday (October 23).
Aké Arnaud Loba was born on 1 April 1998 in Divo, Côte d’Ivoire. The 28-year-old is a right-footed centre-forward and a former Ivory Coast Under-20 international. He began his senior career at home with SOA before moving to Peru’s Universidad San Martín, where he scored heavily in the top flight and was among the league’s standout performers in one campaign.
He later established himself in Mexican football with spells at Querétaro and Monterrey. He was part of the Monterrey side that won the CONCACAF Champions League in 2021 and scored during that run against Columbus Crew. He subsequently joined Nashville SC in Major League Soccer as a designated player, returned to Liga MX clubs including Mazatlán, Tijuana and Querétaro, and also had a short spell with Libya’s Al-Shomooa before arriving in India.
Dani Ramírez opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a composed finish, before P. V. Vishnu doubled the advantage eight minutes later. Inter Kashi were rocked again in the 22nd minute when Wayne Vaz brought down Ramírez inside the box. Loba stepped up and converted the penalty, sending goalkeeper Albino Gomes the wrong way to make it 3-0.
Lalchungnunga’s own goal in the 28th minute gave Inter Kashi a brief reply, but East Bengal restored the three-goal cushion before the break. Loba headed in Bipin Singh’s cross in the 35th minute to complete his brace and send the champions into half-time leading 4-1.
The 28-year-old Ivorian, who joined East Bengal on a free transfer in early September, was making his first start in the Indian Super League. Loba had already shown promise by providing an assist in the champions’ 4-0 win over Churchill Brothers earlier in the campaign.
The second half began with Inter Kashi chasing a recovery, but East Bengal maintained their advantage through the hour mark. The fixture carries extra weight as a rematch of last season’s title-deciding match, when East Bengal defeated Inter Kashi 2-1 to claim the ISL crown. Habas, who previously worked with Inter Kashi, is now leading the defending champions against his former club.
With time still remaining and the score at 1-4, East Bengal hold a strong position in their title defence. Loba’s brace on his first ISL start has given the Red and Gold a clear edge at Balewadi.
