Necevski will be in the starting XI as the Sky Blues kick off the Festival of Football against AEK Athens on Sunday at the SFS.

And on Wednesday night, Liam Reddy gets his shot when the A-League champions take on Scottish giants Rangers.

After that, the Sydney FC coaching staff will make their final decision on first choice keeper for the upcoming A-League season.

What it means is that whoever walks out against Blackburn Rovers in the final game of Sydney's Festival of Football next Saturday night will be the anointed one.

As you'd expect, the stakes are very high for the two glovesmen - particularly as this season stretches to include an Asian Champions League campaign - as they both eye their chances to impress.

"With Liam pressuring me, it makes me want to better myself and going into Sunday I'll be going in full of confidence," Necevski told au.fourfourtwo.com.

And the 30-year-old's focus will be simple: "Just do my job, keep a clean sheet and leave the rest up to the coaching staff to make a decision for the start of the year."

Reddy was an early pre-season acquisition following the departure of long-time Sydney FC number one Clint Bolton to Melbourne Heart.

His form in the back-half of last season when loaned out to Wellington from Brisbane was very impressive and underlined why Sydney wanted to sign the former Newcastle Jet.

Necevski signed in 2007 and has since played 12 times for Sydney, but with Bolton a mainstay he has been used largely as a back-up.

Now with the challenge ahead of a new keeper, the slimmed down Necevski - 6kgs lighter than he was last season - is ready for his defining week.

"Obviously my main goal is to start the season in goal and play the whole season but obviously with Liam coming in, it's great competition for me. It's healthy competition.

"We work really well together, we've played at Sydney United in the last year of the NSL together and we've known each other for a while so it's healthy competition."

He added: "Every training session, every game, I prepare myself the same way as if I'm playing. Physically you have to be ready and mentally you have to be switched on.

But coach Vitezslav Lavicka's philosophy of respect and team unity has seeped into the entire playing group, goalkeepers included.

"You've got to be a team player, so if you're not playing as the other keeper you've got to be there supporting the team because we're all in it together," said Necevski, a former Newcastle Jet.

"We've spoken about it at training, and there are no hard feelings there. Two keepers, one spot up for grabs, we're working towards our own personal goals but we also have our team goals."