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The name of seasoned French manager Roger Lemerre has suprisingly popped up as a favourate candidate in the vacant Black Stars coaching race after contacts between the 1998 World Cup winning coach and the Ghana Football Association, Ghanasportsonline.com can exclusively reveal. The Ghana Football Association in search for a new substantive technical head for the Black Stars are believed to have been pleased with the rich CV of the the highly-rated Lemerre, and the Frenchman could gate-crash the coaching race. In an exclusive interview with Kumasi-based Angel FM, Lemerre's agent Slim Riahi confirmed a contact between his client and the Football Association but emphasised that nothing concrete had been reached. The 73-year-old has a very successful managerial career especially at the national level, guiding the France National team to win the 2002 European Championship after winning the 1998 World Cup as an assistant to Aimet Jacquet who he replace later. Lemerre also managed the Tunisia National Team between 2002-2008 with whom he led to victory in the African Nations Cup in 2004, and guided to qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. The search for the new Ghana coach has been rocked with controversies and as some top European managers who made an initial shortlist decided to pull-out of the race. Former Dutch assistant Patrick Kluivert was the first to opt of of the race whiles German trainer Bern Schuster is reported to have told a German TV he was not aware of he had been shortlisted. Schuster�s reported withdrawal from the race will leave the Ghana Football Association to either stick with the candidates left or decide to go on a headhunt. Ghanasportsonline.com can confirm that Lemerre's representatives have been in a fruitful contact with the GFA over the last few days. Chairman of Ghana's three-man search committee Fred Crentsil told Kumasi-based Angel FM in an interview that despite a scheduled interview session between the GFA and the shortlisted coaches, the Association could appoint a coach outside the list. "We are interviewing them but that doesn't mean one of the will automatically land the job" Crentsil said. "The committee can go outside the shortlisted coaches and appoint someone if after the interview, we are not satisfied with the what we want or constraints with finances could also be a factor" He added. Ghanasportsonline.com understands that there have been several contacts between the former Morocco manager, his agent and the Ghana Football Association and the parties would not disclose items of discussion. When contacted, Lemerre's agent Slim Riahi CONFIRMED to Angel FM that there have been contacts with Ghana,and between several clubs and National Federations and his client but insisted that he Lemerre is in no rush but ready to work in a "perfect environment". "Roger is in Belgium now settling on thing and training some coaches there but not in rush now" "We are in contact with federations and not Ghana alone but we see what happen because Roger want to wait and work last i environment" Slim concluded. A close source at the Ghana Football Association told Ghanasportsonline.com that Lemerre's CV had reached the Association but nothing has been decided yet. Ghanasportsonline.com understands that, if the Association decides to land on Roger Lemmere, the French manager will be hired on a short-term basis practically to supervise the team for the African Cup of Nations in January next year whiles Maxwell Konadu remains as an assistant. Roger Lemerre, 73, has been dubbed �the Sexiest Coach Alive� by Glamour's magazine in its November 2014 issue out this week.