The defender took a deep breath and sent his kick high into the roof of Enyeama goal, to the delight of his team-mates and the thousands of Tunisia fans at Stade Rades.
The visiting side did have the ball in the net just before the interval when Senderos slid in to convert a deep Leighton Baines free-kick but the defender was penalised for offside.
City might even have led at the break after a Bellamy free-kick deep in injury time was met by an unmarked Joleon Lescott but the defender headed wide.