One decision in Nigeria's crunch encounter with Argentina could have rewritten history.

A whole continent is silent for the sheer fact that one of its sons has been dealt an upset in front of the whole world. In most cases, it could have been avoided but it certainly adds up to the drama and intrigue which makes football as beautiful and thrilling as it is.

So many "what ifs" run through the minds of the inhabitants on the plateau of Africa but the one which reigns paramount resonates around the inefficiency of a piece of technology and a team of assistant officials in the "engine room" inside the Saint-Petersburg Stadium.

After getting the call for the first penalty right, the VAR sabotaged its own near-perfect campaign by overruling what appeared to be a clear penalty in favor of the Super Eagles. Marcos Rojo, in an attempt to clear the ball out of danger, headed it onto his own arm inside the penalty area. Referee Cuneyt Cakir, subsequently, refused to award a spot-kick even after reviewing the incident on the off-pitch TV screen, feasibly denying Nigeria the chance to take a 2-1 lead.

In a cruel and unjust manner, the Manchester United center-back's lofty strike in the dying embers of the game sealed the win for the Albiceleste. Yes, Odion Ighalo probably should have done better from 14-yards out but his miss does not invalidate the handball claim, does it?

In retrospect, Iran benefited from a similar scenario which saw them hold Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their final group game on Monday. The Asians made no mess of the spot-kick they were awarded after Cedric Soares "unintentionally" handled the ball in his side's penalty area. 

Why then did the tables turn in Nigeria's case? Are these two scenarios mutually exclusive or did both require the referee's discretion? If the latter is true, isn't the need to deliberate as to whether an offense should be awarded or not the fundamental reason why the VAR has been introduced into the sport?

If indeed FIFA aims to propagate fairness in football, then there is the mammoth need to eradicate alternating and inconsistent decision-makings which more often than not mars the beauty of the game. The VAR exist to be a solution for a cause and not vice versa.

Its usage has had its plus side in Russia so far but it is still far from the "saviour" football lovers are waiting on to prevent heaartbreaks. Tonight, Nigeria and the rest of Africa sleeps silently as a result of its harsh and injust repurcussions.